This leaflet contains information for patients who have been admitted to the Intensive Care/ Coronary Care Unit (IC/CCU) of our hospital. The CCU is a special unit for patients with chest pain complaints or who have undergone coronary catherization, or have suffered a heart attack, heart failure or dysrhythmia.

Intensive Care/ Coronary Care Unit (IC/CCU)

The Coronary Care Unit (CCU) is part of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The medical staff therefore provides care to both CCU and ICU patients. The IC/CCU of The Van Weel-Bethesda Hospital consists of six single-bed patient rooms (IC beds) and one two-bed room (CCU beds). Each morning a case conference takes place at which the attending cardiologist and nurses discuss the condition of each CCU patient and, if necessary, adjust their treatments. The cardiologist is therefore the CCU patients’ attending provider. If necessary, the cardiologist will consult with a specialist from another discipline. Nursing care is provided by specialized High Care nurses, Intensive Care nurses, Coronary Care nurses or Intensive Care nurses in training.

Visiting Hours

The visiting hours are from 14.00-20.00 hrs. The IC/CCU’s visiting hours differ from those of the other hospital departments. This is because the patients at this unit require intensive care, and frequent and long visits can deteriorate their condition. In consultation with the nurse, other visiting hours may be arranged. It may happen that nurses need to provide care to the patient during visiting hours and that visitors will be asked to wait in the family room.Patients may not be visited by more than two visitors at a time. Visits by children under the age of 12 are only allowed after consultation with the nurse. If a visitor or someone in their environment has a contagious disease, this should be reported to the nurse.

Equipment

Treatment at the IC/CCU often involves the use of medical equipment such as a monitor that constantly measures the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure and rate of breathing. These measurements are also shown on screens in the coffee room and at the nurse’s desk. The patient may also be connected to a drip feed for the administration of medication and/or fluid, a mechanical ventilator, or a urinary catheter to accurately monitor fluid balance. Most of the equipment are equipped with a screen that shows measurements and messages. Alarm signals may sound and can upset the patient’s next of kin, but the IC/CCU staff know exactly what the various signals mean, and will respond professionally to them. Furthermore, cultures are obtained from all patients in order to establish whether they are infected with, for example, resistant or contagious bacteria.

File

Each patient room is equipped with a computer on which the patient file is stored. This file contains all the medical and nursing data concerning the patient. Only medical staff have access to this computer.

Clothing, Toiletries, Personal Effects

Patients may use their own toiletries. They may also bring their own nightwear and underwear. If they cannot wear their own nightclothes because they are hooked up to all kinds of medical equipment, they will be given hospital gowns.

For hygienic and practical reasons, the nurse will take off any jewellery the patient is wearing and will ask the patient’s family to take this jewellery home with them. The hospital cannot be held liable for the loss of a patient’s valuables. Because of the risk of infection, flowers and plants are not permitted in the IC/CCU.

Contact Persons

When a patient is admitted to the IC/CCU, the nurse will ask for the names and telephone numbers of one or two contact persons, and will record these names and telephone numbers in the file. The contact persons may call the attending nurse for information about the patient 24/7. Please avoid calling the IC/CCU at shift transfer times (07:00-07:30, 15:00-15:30, and 23:00-23:30). For privacy reasons we only provide patient information to designated contact persons. If, as a contact person, you wish to receive medical information or talk to the attending physician, you can make the necessary arrangements with the nurse. If you want, you can also make an appointment with a chaplain.

Transfer

As soon as the patient’s condition permits, and providing the attending provider considers it medically safe, the patient will be transferred to a ward (if there is room). If necessary, the IC/CCU will also monitor the patient’s heart rate by means of a telemeter, a transmitter with five electrodes to which the patient is connected. With this device a patient can also be monitored on the ward or, for example, during physiotherapy.

Questions

If you have any questions, please contact the IC/CCU
T 0187 60 74 40.

Foldernummer: C27
Laatst bijgewerkt op: 04-05-2023