Sweat Chloride Test
(Cystic Fibrosis)
David Perlstein, MD, MBA, FAAP
Dr. Perlstein received his Medical Degree from the University of Cincinnati and then completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at The New York Hospital, Cornell medical Center in New York City. After serving an additional year as Chief Pediatric Resident, he worked as a private practitioner and then was appointed Director of Ambulatory Pediatrics at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
- What is the sweat chloride test?
- What is the aim of the sweat chloride test
- How is the sweat chloride test done?
- How long does the test take?
- What is done with the sweat?
- What are normal sweat chloride levels?
- What is the sweat chloride level in cystic fibrosis?
- What if the sweat chloride is intermediate (between normal and the usual cystic fibrosis levels)?
- Can a cystic fibrosis child have a normal sweat chloride level?
- Can the sweat chloride be high without having cystic fibrosis?
What is the sweat chloride test?
The sweat chloride test is a common and simple test used to evaluate a patient who is suspected of having cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common lethal genetic disease affecting Caucasians. Cystic fibrosis is often clinically suspected when there is poor growth during infancy or recurrent serious intestinal or respiratory diseases in a toddler or young child. The genetic defect in cystic fibrosis affects the way chloride moves in and out of cells, and sweat contains chloride in the form of sodium chloride (salt). Measurement of the chloride in sweat has been the standard method for diagnosing cystic fibrosis for over 40 years. Because cystic fibrosis is so common, many states include testing for the cystic fibrosis gene as part of the Newborn Screen; however, sweat testing is still required to confirm the diagnosis.
http://www.medicinenet.com/sweat_chloride_test/article.htm
Women's Health
Find out what women really need.
Updated & New
