A procedure that helps people with worsening heart failure avoid overnight stays in hospital is being hailed as lifesaving by patients.
Patients whose condition is seen to be deteriorating are being offered an infusion treatment at Maryport and Wigton day units to prevent further worsening.
Before this treatment could be administered in the day units, patients risked deteriorating further until their condition required hospital admission.
An 86-year-old man from Wigton who wanted to remain anonymous, says the infusion gave him a new lease of life. He said:
“Oh it was wonderful, I couldn’t do anything before, I got so breathless and now I can go around much better and I’m not out of breath. It has made a big, big impression to my life. I have mowed the lawn and walked into town. It’s amazing. The staff were absolutely wonderful too, I was treated with dignity and respect and was very well looked after. If it wasn’t for Dr Ibrahim suggesting I have this procedure I don’t think that I would be here.”
The procedure being carried out is a furosemide infusion. Patients with heart failure are often prescribed a drug called furosemide in tablet form and other similar medications to help manage their condition.
Dr Bassem Ibrahim, Consultant Cardiologist and Lead of Heart Failure services explained:
“Sometimes the tablet medication can become less effective for a number of reasons. If this is not addressed quickly patients will need to spend up to a week in hospital getting the drug administers intravenously – directly into the blood stream.
“However if it is noted quickly that the tablet form is becoming less effective, the patient can be booked in to have the medicine intravenously at the day units based in Maryport or Wigton community hospitals in an afternoon.
“Administering the furosemide intravenously, via an injection and then infusion, helps increase the efficacy of the oral medication again. The procedure takes around seven hours.
“Being able to do this in a community hospital means patients are able to get care closer to their home and in a more timely way. Care is delivered by small teams and in an environment that is more personal with privacy and dignity.
“If there is a delay in the intravenous medication patients may have to spend a number of days in an acute hospital (the Cumberland Infirmary or West Cumberland Hospital) to bring the condition back under control.”
Alison Darby, Senior Lead Nurse in Maryport explained:
“The Day Units are constantly collaborating with specialist teams within the Trust to support their services and help improve the treatments and care available to patients. We pride ourselves on providing safe, quality care, delivered by ambitious, enthusiastic staff. The feedback we have received from patients so far, regarding this treatment, has been very positive.”
Dr Ibrahim added:
“This has been a real collaborative effort between the community heart failure team and the acute heart failure teams as well as the day hospital staff. We can see from what the gentleman in Wigton has said that it is making a real difference to patients which is wonderful to hear.”