Infections are treated with antibiotics . The best way to treat and clear the accumulated mucus involves a combination of physical therapy , exercise , and medications . Most CF patients eventually die from respiratory failure or cor pulmonale.
Lung transplantation can greatly improve the quality of life in patients.
Usually antiobiotics are prescribed early on, and unlike antibiotic use in healthy individuals, CF patients use them long term and at higher doses. A variety of bacteria can infect the lungs of a patient with CF and an assortment of antibiotics can be prescribed. Selecting an appropriate antibiotic is based on a sputum culture. Sputum is the substance that is expelled from the body when a person coughs or clears his or her throat. A sputum culture involves examining the cells of the sputum under the microscope to identify bacteria.