The parents of a 15-year-old with cystic fibrosis want to go on an extended vacation in the Caribbean. What anticipatory guidance should the nurse give the adolescent and her parents?

Explanation

•If children with CF become overheated, especially in places with humid temperature like the Caribbean, they begin to lose excessive sodium and chloride through perspiration and become dehydrated. Encourage parents to offer water frequently and to prevent overexertion. •Cystic fibrosis is a chronic disorder of the exocrine glands characterized by abnormally thick secretions. Cystic fibrosis affects the pancreas, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, salivary glands, and reproductive tract. •Parents of a child with cystic fibrosis, regardless of vacations in the Caribbean, need to assume a great deal of responsibility for the care of their child and familiarize themselves with the child's care. •Teaching parents how to balance work is incorrect because the parents are spending time with their child by going on vacation.