PBMC launches new renal therapy: In-hospital procedure is for ... - Shelter Island Reporter

From left: Peconic Bay Medical Center medical director Jeffrey Zilberstein, M.D., nurse practitioner Kayla Provenzano and Khurram Mehtabdin, D.O, chief of nephrology. (Courtesy photo)

For critically ill patients who can no longer undergo traditional dialysis, Peconic Bay Medical Center now offers a solution.

The hospital announced it now offers continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), a blood purification process much slower than typical dialysis, for patients experiencing a kidney injury.

While a patient may undergo standard dialysis a few hours a day, CRRT runs 24 hours a day. The much slower method is also more comfortable and gentler on the body.

According to PBMC chief of nephrology Dr. Khurram Mehtabdin, a patient will typically "stay on CRRT for 24 hours, then [hospital staff] will check lab work and urine output to decide the proper next steps."

"For critically ill patients experiencing kidney injury who can no longer tolerate traditional dialysis, continuous renal replacement therapy is PBMC's new way to continue lifesaving treatment," Dr. Mehtabdin said in a statement. "With a drastic increase in intensive care patients and renal failures throughout Suffolk County, this technology will help further the hospital's mission to save lives and enhance patient care."

Dr. Mehtabdin said the new procedure is "not for end of life care; it is life sustaining care for when people are critically ill. The hope is that this technology will remove toxins from the body when patients are acutely ill so that they can heal."

CRRT takes over the kidneys' function and filters out more waste and fluids than traditional dialysis. The hospital currently carries three catheter-based dialyzers to purify a patient's blood in its Intensive Care Unit in the Corey Critical Care Pavilion.

Implementing the new dialysis method furthers Peconic Bay Medical Center's efforts to make the most advanced medical technology available in Suffolk County.

"By introducing CRRT to our ICU, PBMC is elevating the care patients within our ICU receive," PBMC executive director Amy Loeb said in a statement. "With the launch of this new program, patients will no longer need to be transferred to larger outside facilities for this level of care. We are incredibly proud to see our community hospital's programs grow each year as we continue our mission to provide the highest quality medical care to residents of eastern Suffolk County."

For more information about Peconic Bay Medical Center, visit http://www.pbmchealth.org.

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