ADULTS AND PARENTS
Hospital Admission

Arriving at the Hospital
What happens when you come in to hospital for a heart operation

Investigations
Observations
Your blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate and temperature will be recorded. Also your height and weight.

Echo
This is where your heart is scanned to provide information for the medical staff. This sometimes can take a bit of time, so chill out for awhile.

Chest X-Ray
Usually done in the x-ray department, to provide information about the size of your heart and the blood flow through the lungs.

Blood Tests
OK, no one likes blood tests, but they are sometimes necessary. If you want, your nurse can put on some local anaesthetic cream to stop it hurting.

ECG
This provides information on the electrical function of the heart.

Before Your Child Goes to Hospital
Fasting
If you are going to have a general anaesthetic you will be "fasted" before they go. That means nothing to eating or drink. Please follow instructions in your admission letter, or the nurse looking after you will explain the times for you when you arrive.

Premed
Medication is prescribed by the anaesthetist about an hour before you go, this relax or even sedate you before you go.

Transfer to theatre or catheter lab
Someone from theatre or the catheter labs will come with a trolley to take you. Your nurse will come with you and stay with you until you are asleep. Most of our anaesthetists allow parents to stay with you until you are asleep.

After your operation is completed
is completed you will usually be taken to the intensive care unit. The unit is full of medical equipment and can appear a little overwhelming, but it is all essential to assist the nursing and medical staff to monitor your condition. Each patient in the unit has one nurse. That nurse is responsible for monitoring your condition. Also involved will be teams of surgical and medical personnel. To find out more about intensive care please click here.

Updated Winter 08/09