Critical care nurse
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Critical care nurse · Apr 2000
Review Case ReportsManaging pulmonary hypertension in heart transplantation: meeting the challenge.
The most common measurements of pulmonary hypertension include systolic and mean pulmonary artery pressures, PVR, and transpulmonary gradient. Pulmonary artery pressures greater than 50 mm Hg, PVR greater than 6 Woods units, and transpulmonary gradient greater than 15 mm Hg that are unresponsive to optimal vasodilators are contraindications to orthotopic heart transplantation. Therapies used to reduce PVR in the cardiac catheterization laboratory include high-flow oxygen; sublingual nitroglycerin; and intravenous inotropic agents, vasodilators, and selective pulmonary vasodilators. ⋯ A heterotopic heart transplantation might also be attempted. However, because of the poor success with heterotopic transplantation, other options such as treatment with inhaled pulmonary vasodilators show much more promise and are associated with long-term survival after transplantation. Finally, nursing knowledge and implementation of transplantation protocols are essential for continued assessment and management of candidates for heart transplantation who are cared for in the intensive care or coronary care unit.
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Critical care nurse · Apr 2000
Same-day transfer of patients to the cardiac telemetry unit after surgery: the Rapid after Bypass Back into Telemetry (RABBIT) program.
Early data from this project suggest that the RABBIT program fulfilled the process improvement goals of decreasing costs of cardiac surgery and maintaining high quality. Decreased cost was achieved by decreasing time to extubation and decreasing length of stay in the ICU and the total length of stay in the hospital. The cost savings were achieved without compromising the quality of care, which was assessed by measuring rates of readmission to the ICU and to the hospital and by surveying patients about their level of satisfaction. ⋯ Opportunities for continued improvement include resolving operational difficulties related to availability of beds and staffing, continuing work with physicians in changing practice patterns, increasing efficiency in scheduling operating rooms, and adjusting the preoperative education provided to patients and their families about the length of stay to expect. Quarterly outcome analysis continues, with reports to the cardiac surgery quality improvement team. The team continues to explore creative solutions to the aforementioned issues, as the goal of having 25% of patients who undergo cardiac surgery be transferred to the CTU on the day of surgery has remained elusive.