Patients with advanced liver conditions which require them to receive removal of fluid from their abdomen are now receiving their care in a modern dedicated day unit.
Previously, patients needing paracentesis – a procedure where fluid known as ascites is drained from the abdomen – had to attend a busy ward area in the hospital.
This often meant a delay in drain insertion or cancellation due to hospital and bed pressures along with the doctor having other ward commitments.
Now, the procedure has been moved into the hospital’s Infusion Service, which is currently located on the ground floor of the hospital.
The new service was developed to allow patients to be given a fixed time of attendance, allowing the treatment to be delivered promptly in a familiar environment, making the process less stressful and reducing unnecessary admissions to hospital.
Senior Sister Cherry said that the introduction of paracentesis was the latest development for the Infusion Unit, which offers a range of patient treatments.
“Our team has been working closely with the liver nurses and the gastroenterology team to ensure that patients undergoing paracentesis within the Infusion Service receive the highest standards of care,” she said. “Managing ascites drain patients through the infusion unit has significantly improved patient comfort, continuity, and flow.”
The move has also proved popular with patients including Kevin Lanham, who requires paracentesis regularly due to a liver condition.
The procedure involves him having up to 10 litres of fluid drained from his abdomen every week, a process that takes more than three hours.
The 64-year-old from Bungay said the weekly trips to the hospital were a necessary disruption to his routine – but once inside the Infusion Service at the Paget, the care he received was excellent.
Along with other patients, Mr Lanham had previously received his paracentesis at other locations, including a busy ward at the hospital.
But since the service moved into the modern infusion unit, it has been a far more comfortable, consistent and less time-consuming experience with patients often finishing their drain before midday.
“The staff here are very professional - and the unit itself is well lit, spacious and comfortable,” said Mr Lanham.
“I’ve been coming here for a few months now – and the staff now recognise me. I am always greeted with a smile and ‘hello’ – and get a lovely cup of coffee and biscuit to keep me going until lunch!”
Since the procedure came under the umbrella of the Infusion Service, the team have performed more than 104 paracentesis sessions, helping more than 20 patients.
The Infusion Service is an outpatient facility providing various treatments, such as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), biological therapies, and bisphosphonates to patients with rheumatic conditions, gastrointestinal disorders and others.
The infusion nursing team work alongside the Specialist Liver Nurses Tanya and Emma, led by Consultant in Gastroenterology Dr Sayed. The team are supported by the Gastroenterology Physician Associate Cassie.