Departures

Advice if you are taking your child home after heart surgery

This has been written to help you prepare for caring for your child when you go home after surgery. We hope it answers some of your questions, but it is a general guide so please do not hesitate to contact the ward or specialist nurse with any questions you feel we have not dealt with.

Will my child have to take any tablets or medicines at home?
If your child is taking medication then this will be provided for you to take home. You will be given one week's supply so it is important that you do not run out! You will be given a letter for your GP, which provides information about any prescriptions that need renewing.

Before you go home you should know:

• What the medication is called, and what it is for

• How often you need to give your child the medication

• A drink of water following medicines should help prevent tooth decay!

Nursing staff will explain and show you how to give your child medication before you go home. If your child is under one year old, you will need to sterilise the syringes that you use to give the medicines. Contact your Health Visitor or GP for a further supply.

Keep giving the medication until you are seen in the Outpatients Department and the doctor tells you to stop.

What do I do if my child vomits after I have given the medicines?

DO NOT REPEAT THE DOSE

It is difficult to guess exactly how much medicine has been absorbed.

Give the next dose of medicine at the normal time.

If your child continues to vomit contact your GP.

Will my child be in pain?
Your child may suffer mild discomfort whilst moving around for a few days. Paracetamol (eg Calpol or tablets) can be given for this. Make sure you have some at home as this is not usually provided by the hospital.

For the first few nights at home, you may find it helpful to give your child a dose of paracetamol before putting them to bed - follow the instructions on the pack so that you are certain that you do not give them too much. This should ease any discomfort that may cause difficulty in sleeping and your child's regular night time routine should be re-established fairly quickly.

Hospital accommodation - KEYS
if you used the Parents Accommodation on D Floor, please please let us have the key back so someone else can use. If in all the chaos you forgot to hand it in please send it back to us. Thank you.

Useful contact numbers
Ward 10 - Tel. 0113 392 7110
Specialist Nurse Office - 0113 392 5467.

If you need information, advice or support regarding your child's condition or surrounding lifestyle issues please contact the specialist nurses (Please leave a message on the answer machine if not available).

Updated Mar05