Respiratory care boosted with new hospital equipment
(CNS Local Life): The Health Services Authority (HSA) has recently purchased a state-of-the-art respiratory machine for the Cayman Islands Hospital with help from a $38,000 donation from the Cayman Islands Cystic Fibrosis Trust. The COSMED Q-box improves the diagnosis and treatment for patients with breathing and chronic lung problems.
The new technology is an all-in-one respiratory function test solution that guarantees highly accurate results and provides a more comfortable experience for patients, the HSA said in a press release. The funds donated by the Cystic Fibrosis Trust were also used to purchase a chest airway clearance vest, a device that helps to loosen and thin retained secretions that, if not removed, could contribute to increased rates of respiratory infection, breathing difficulties and reduced lung function.
“Respiratory function tests are noninvasive tests that show how well the lungs are working. They measure lung volume, capacity, rates of flow and gas exchange,” said Melaine McLeod, HSA registered respiratory therapist and certified pulmonary function technologist, in explaining the use of the Q-box. “This information can help healthcare providers diagnose and decide the treatment of certain lung disorders. Identifying the severity of a breathing impairment earlier and more accurately will lead to more efficient and effective treatment and higher quality outcomes for our patients.”
HSA CEO Lizzette Yearwood thanked the Trust for the donation. “We are grateful to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust’s years of support to the Health Services Authority and the people of the Cayman Islands who are living with chronic respiratory diseases and breathing problems,” she said. “Thanks to their partnership, we continue to improve the lives of patients and reduce the toll of disability and premature mortality related to respiratory issues.”
The COSMED Q-box is the new generation equipment for gold standard gas volume measurements in the human body, the HSA said. The machine includes a large cabin, otherwise known as a body-box, which provides comfort and ease-of-access for adults and special needs patients. The equipment can help determine the severity and type of breathing impairment a patient is experiencing and help to confirm the effectiveness of the medical treatment being administered.
The HSA’s procurement of the Q-box resulted in a knock-on benefit for patients of Faith Hospital in Cayman Brac who suffer from breathing and lung issues. The respiratory machine the Q-box replaced at the hospital in Grand Cayman is now being used at Faith Hospital to perform respiratory function tests.
“We are very pleased to offer more convenient care for patients in the Brac who previously had to travel to Grand Cayman for this service,” said Dr Srirangan Velusamy, director of the Sister Islands Health Services. “It is also reassuring to know that an advanced respiratory equipment is available at the Cayman Islands Hospital to our patients who require more complex tests.”
Respiratory therapist McLeod added, “It is through the outstanding support of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust that we able to secure the Q-box, which has now become a necessity for any high-level laboratory of respiratory diseases and disorders. Thanks to this donation we are able to improve the quality of care we offer as well as our patient experience.”
With this latest donation, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust is closing down in Cayman. Pamela Fowler has been volunteer fundraising manager of the Trust since its inception in 2005, when she and husband, Jon, established the organisation to raise money for research to find a cure for cystic fibrosis, a progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time.
Pamela Fowler said of the decision to close: “For a number of reasons, the Trust has been inactive for the last few years, and the trustees decided it was an opportune time to distribute the remaining funds and close the Trust. We are all glad to be able to gift the people of Cayman the Q-box and vest system, and we are eternally grateful to all the volunteers and donors who worked hard to make this happen.”
Category: Medical and Health
