Immediate Post-operative Care

The patient is accompanied to the ICU by a surgeon, anesthetist and the nurse who assisted for the surgery with portable ventilator and ECG monitor. The patient is shifted to the bed. The ECG leads are connected to the cardiac monitor. The pressure lines-the CVP, LAP and arterial BP lines are connected to the flush system via the transducer and then to monitor. Readings noted. The ventilator connected to the ET tube after ET suction and the parameters are set and assessed for effective working, chest drainages are connected to the central suction and assessed for the patency of the chest tubes, milking of the tubes done. Respiratory rate is assessed. Urinary bag is attached to bed, amount of urine in the bag is measured. Gastric drainage tube is unclarnped and the amount of drainage noted. The temperature probe and pulse oxymetry leads are also connected to the monitor. IV lines are assessed and volume of fluid in the volume flask is monitored and drip adjusted. The patient is made comfortable and reassured that the operation is over and is received him/her in ICU.

The immediate post-operative period for the patient who has undergone cardiac surgery presents many challenges to the health team. All efforts are made to facilitate the transition from the operating room to the intensive care unit with a minimum of risk. Specific information about the operation and important factors about post-operative management are communicated by the surgical team and anesthesia personal to the critical care nurse in the intensive care unit, who then assumes responsibility for the patient's care. The patient's relatives are also informed about the operation and condition of the patient in ICU.

The first few hours after surgery is very critical. After admitting the patient, the flow chart recording is completed.