Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Jackson Memorial Hospital is the first healthcare facility in Florida to launch a new innovative procedure to support feeding patients in its intensive care units (ICU). In August, Jackson started performing percutaneous ultrasound gastrostomies (PUG), a new technique launched by medical device company CoapTech that allows ultrasound-trained providers to place gastrostomy tubes (G-tubes) in a patient using only ultrasound guidance with CoapTech's PUMA-G device. Since its launch, Jackson Memorial has been able to successfully implement this minimally invasive approach in at least 10 patients in its ICU and intermediate ICU.
Traditionally, when a patient is unable to eat or swallow long-term, a G-tube is placed by a gastroenterologist using endoscopy or in an operating room. Using the PUG procedure eliminates the need for a specialist consult.
"Patients in need of a feeding tube now experience a safe, quick, and simple process with the PUG procedure," said Hamilton Clark, Jackson Memorial's senior vice president and chief executive officer. "It offers less waiting time for the patients, and our nurses and support staff can provide efficient care for patients in need of nutrition."
This new approach lets more healthcare workers, such as intermediate and critical care staff, care for patients when the need for adequate nutrition is greatest.
"The benefit of this is that it is enabling a whole new group of providers to perform gastrostomies safely, without having to move the patients out of the comfort of their rooms or wait for consultant services to perform the procedure," said Douglas Houghton, DNP, APRN, ANCPC, CCRN, FAANP, associate chief of clinical operations at Jackson Memorial. "We perform this procedure with equipment that we already have and already know how to use, which is great for our patients and hospital teams."
Jackson Memorial's goal is to continue growing the number of caregivers who can provide this service, so that it can be done in all of its ICUs.
"I applaud the Jackson Memorial team for their commitment to innovation and better patient care," said Howard Carolan, president and CEO of CoapTech. "They are leading the way in Florida as they utilize PUMA-G to decrease length of stay, reduce costs, and provide better patient care."
Jackson Memorial Hospital
1611 N.W. 12th Ave., Miami, FL 33136
www.jacksonhealth.org
