We recently began rotating at a hospital that specializes exclusively in cardiovascular issues. From routine procedures to complex open-heart surgeries, this hospital treats a wide variety of patients with heart-related conditions.
Because the hospital focuses only on cardiac care, its departmental structure is very different from the previous hospitals I have rotated at. The hospital followed a system known as the cardiac unit bed (CUB). The focus of this system is to ensure patient care is managed in only one setting from post operation to discharge with the same team of healthcare providers. Especially in cardiac surgical patient care, this system is hypothesized to lessen recovery times and improve outcomes.
Additionally, each floor is designated for patients recovering from varying levels of cardiac severity. The lower floors contained the most critical patients which required intensive monitoring. Many of these patients had just come out of surgery and faced other complications that may put them at risk. These rooms were also equipped with surgical tools for the healthcare providers to intervene if a patient’s conditions worsened. As you move upwards in the hospitals, the levels of critical care decrease for the patients.
A unique department I observed was the electrophysiology (EP) lab. In the EP lab, advanced technology is used to map the heart’s electrical system. Last week, I watched a doctor perform a cardiac ablation which is where the doctor inserts catheters into a patient’s heart and sends electrical pulses to induce different heart rhythms. Through this, the doctor is able to diagnose and implant treatments for the patient’s heart condition.
Another major department is noninvasive cardiology, where procedures such as pacemaker and valve placements are performed. Unlike open-heart surgery, these procedures typically carry less risks as minimal incisions are made into the patient’s body.
As the heart hospital provides a different view on patient care with specialized departments, I am excited to learn more about the different levels involved in cardiac care.
