Many of these patients will be admitted to a cardiac care unit (CCU).
This article will explain why you might need to be admitted to a CCU.
What Is a CCU?
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Patients in the CCU usually have serious, acute, and/or unstable cardiac conditions.
They can have changes in their condition that come on very fast and without warning.
People in the CCU need to be looked after constantly.
That’s why the unit is set up specifically to provide round-the-clock care.
These therapies may require special devices, equipment, medication, and trained staff.
They care for patients 24 hours a day.
A CCU will have a much higher staff-to-patient ratio than a typical hospital unit does.
Most CCUs have a centralized nursing station that’s surrounded by eight to 12 single rooms for each patient.
Many patients in a CCU are on bed rest.
The nursing station is fitted with monitoring screens that show continuous readouts for every patient.
An emergency can be detected quickly and trained medical personnel can respond right away.
Some patients also have temporary catheters put in a wrist artery to continuously monitor their blood pressure.
The catheters can also be put in a pulmonary artery to monitor blood pressure in the heart.
Treatments
There are many different treatments that patients in the CCU might need.
They may need to have more than one during their stay, depending on how sick they are.
One example of a highly specialized treatment in a CCU is targetedtemperaturemanagement for patients who went into cardiac arrest.
This therapy lowers the patient’s body temperature until they have mild hypothermia.
Some research has shown that this treatment may help reduce the risk of brain damage.
CCUs also have ventilators for patients who cannot breathe well because of their heart condition.
Testing
People in the CCU often need to have certain tests to monitor their condition.
The units are equipped to perform these tests themselves, which means patients don’t have to be moved.
For example, a CCU can handle doing bloodwork,electrocardiograms,echocardiograms, and chest X-rays.
Can I Visit My Loved One?
When you go see your loved one in the CCU, be prepared.
They will probably be hooked up to wires and tubes.
While the sight can be disturbing, know that it is needed to keep them safe and cared for.
Plants are not allowed because they can bring infection-causing bacteria into a patient’s room.
They can also tell them which activities they will not be allowed to do when they go home.
Going Home
Most cardiac patients are discharged home from step-down care.
Making and sticking to these changes are very important for avoiding another stay in the CCU.
Summary
People who have serious heart problems often need to be in the hospital.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease facts.
