Survival analysis for cystic fibrosis in Minas Gerais state, Brazil

A survival analysis was carried out on cystic fibrosis (CF) patients diagno sed and followed at the General Hospital, Federal University of Minas Gerai s, Brazil. The study cohort consisted of 111 children, admitted to the Pedi atric Pulmonology Section from 1 June 1970 to 31 December 1994. The surviva l curve and table, constructed by the Kaplan-Meier (product limit) method, show a mean survival age of 12.6 years. This life expectancy resembles the median survival age observed in developed countries by 1970. This study sho ws that problems relating to health system organization and unfavourable so cial and economic conditions in developing countries may directly affect th e ultimate survival of CF patients.