Airport opened at Altona Children's Hospital

Airport at the Altona Children's Hospital for better care of respiratory patients

19/04/2011

Yesterday at Altonaer Children 's Hospital (AKK) the „air port“ officially opened. The facility, which is unique in northern Germany, will be used as a new way of looking after children and adolescents who are dependent on long-term ventilation.

The „air port” conclude in northern Germany a medical supply gap in the care of patients who are dependent on a long-term ventilation because of a variety of underlying diseases, said the manager of the AKK, Christiane Dienhold, at the opening of the new facility. The newly created care offer will meet the needs of the affected patients as well as those of their families, according to the statement of the AKK.

2,000 adolescents in Germany dependent on long-term ventilation
Already before the opening of the „air port“ At the AKK, more than 70 children and adolescents who are dependent on ventilation were cared for. Their care should be significantly improved with the newly created facility, Dr. Benjamin Grolle, Medical Section Leader of “air port” and added: „The new housing center will be a port for sick children”. Around 2,000 infants, children and adolescents in Germany depend on long-term ventilation, said the experts of the AKK. In this case, craniocerebral injuries, muscle and nerve diseases, infections or malignant diseases are possible causes of a permanent required support of breathing (long-term ventilation). For those affected oxygen bottles, respirators and suction devices are constant companions, a normal life is hardly possible for them. In order to improve the care of the patients was at the AKK from the funds of the city of Hamburg, funds of the economic stimulus package II and raised donations of the „air port“ built for comprehensive outpatient or inpatient therapy, short-term care as part of the relief care and the permanent placement of long-term ventilation patients.

New concept to improve treatment of long-term ventilator patients
The airport offers a new residential ward with 12 patient rooms for the care of the long-term respiratory patients, of which six are intended for diagnostics and therapy measures and eight for long-term care. According to the AKK managing director is the „air port“ a hitherto unique facility in Northern Germany. The closest comparable institution is in North Rhine-Westphalia, said Christiane Dienhold. It has the „air port“ However, not only aims to improve the care of patients, but also wants to meet the demands of families and „Give the children and adolescents (overall) a little more quality of life”, emphasized Christiane Dienhold, Managing Director of the AKK. The Hamburg Health Senator, Cornelia Prüfer-Storcks, showed up at the opening of the „air port“ also convinced of the concept. „I think it's great that sick children can recapture a piece of normal life again“, explained Prüfer-Storcks. The Health Senator highlighted the benefits of home-based treatment for patients close to family and friends.

„air port“ offers holistic care for respiratory patients
The „air port“ pursues as an approach a more or less holistic treatment of patients, in which not only the disease is in the foreground, but the affected person as a whole as normal a life as possible. Also for the families of children and adolescents, who are dependent on a long-term ventilation, the new facility offers considerable advantages and helps to solve the logistical problems (wheelchair transport, availability of oxygen bottles, ventilators and suction devices), which often occur in the course of the illnesses. (Fp)

Picture: Rainer Sturm