INTRODUCTION
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary disease, transmitted in an autosomal recessive manner; its prevalence varies by country, according to ethnic composition. In Mexico, its prevalence is estimated to be approximately 1: 8,500 to 1: 10,000 in live newborns.1
Survival of those with CF has improved markedly in developed countries, due to early diagnosis, multidisciplinary care, aggressive nutritional supplementation, novel inhaled treatments, eradication ofPseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa ), and lung transplantation. 2
Despite advances, there is a great deal of variability in disease progression, severity, and survival in different countries and geographic settings.3, 4 There are several factors related to survival, such as the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) genotype,5 initial presentation of the disease,6 nutritional status,7 sputum bacteriology,8, 9diabetes,10-12 socioeconomic status (SES),13 pulmonary exacerbations,14gender,15 and follow-up in a specialized center.15
In England and Wales, children with CF from lower socioeconomic groups were nearly three times more likely to die at an early age than those of higher economic status.13 In Latin America, particularly Mexico, limited information exists on the survival of CF patients, including factors that impact survival. To address this, the aim of our study is to assess the median age of CF patient survival in northeast Mexico over a 20-year period.