20 October 2008
One of the country's leading nurses in immunology, based at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, has said a new home treatment service for people with a genetically linked disorder of their immune system is having an amazing effect for patients.
People with the condition, known as primary immunodeficiency, lack the ability to fight infection. This prevents them from getting rid of germs, or protecting themselves against them, as well as they should.
Now, thanks to techniques used in Sweden and adopted in this country by clinical nurse specialist in immunology Amena Warner, patients' lives have been transformed.
Amena, who has been in the nursing profession for 29 years, said: "To spend two days in hospital once every three weeks is an enormous amount of anyone's life. If the patient is a young child, it would mean having time off school with parents having to juggle work and home life around infusions. The home treatment service is resulting in huge amounts of patients' time being saved. It spares them the need of coming into hospital so it also reduces their risk of picking up an infection from another patient."
Primary immunodeficiencies are genetic, meaning there is often a family history, but not always. Until recently, sufferers had to endure a lengthy stay in hospital whilst they received necessary treatment. This involved intravenous infusions that went on for many hours, in some cases overnight.
According to latest figures, approximately one in 50,000 people across the UK suffer from primary immunodeficiency.
The Trust's home treatment service operates from St Helier Hospital - one of the few hospitals in England that has an immunology day unit.
Staff in the department treat approximately 50 patients each year across Sutton, Merton, Epsom and further afield with primary immunodeficiency, some needing treatment every week.
Patient Anita Henser from Carshalton has been accessing the home treatment service for the past year. She said: "I was diagnosed with the condition in 1993 and at that time I had to travel to the Royal Brompton in London which meant leaving the house early in the morning, having the treatment and not returning until very late. I transferred my treatment to St Helier about five years ago and last year started using the home treatment service. For me, it has given me back control as well as independence and has made me feel much better in myself. I don't have to spend the whole day in hospital."
Anita added: "Although I have my treatment at home, I receive 100% support from the team at St Helier. They are always on the end of the phone if I need them. This service has been such a life changing experience."
There are ten warning signs of primary immunodeficiency to look out for:
- Eight or more new ear infections within one year;
- Two or more serious sinus infections within one year;
- Two or more months on antibiotics with little effect;
- Two or more pneumonias within one year;
- Failure of an infant to gain weight or grow normally;
- Recurrent, deep skin or organ abscesses;
- Persistent thrush in mouth or elsewhere on skin after age one;
- Need for intravenous antibiotics to clear infections;
- Two or more deep-seated infections;
- A family history of primary immunodeficiency.
For more information about the condition, visit www.pia.org.
