What to expect at St. Paul's?
In the Emergency Department
Staff at St. Paul’s Emergency Department makes every effort to attend to patients with chest pain or similar symptoms very quickly. It is most important to find out quickly if you are having a heart attack, since successful treatment must be started early. Things you can expect right away are:
An ECG (Heart Tracing) will be done.
Blood tests will be done, to look for signs of heart damage and to measure your overall blood counts
The nurse will examine you and measure your pulse and blood pressure.
Both the nurse and doctor will ask you about your health history, and about what brought you in to the Emergency.
A heart specialist may also examine you and ask you questions about your current condition.
If we suspect you may be having a heart attack, you will be admitted to the hospital and sent to the Coronary Care Unit. Click this link for more info about heart attacks
If we are certain you are having a significant heart attack, you may go directly for an angioplasty procedure.
In the Coronary Care Unit
The Coronary Care Unit (CCU) is a place where heart patients can be watched closely. Nurses and doctors there are specially trained in cardiac diseases and treatments, and there is special monitoring equipment at every bedside. The CCU is a busy place, with doctors, nurses, pharmacists, a social worker and a physiotherapist, as well as doctors and nurses in training . However, we also encourage rest and recovery here.
Usually, patients who have had a heart attack stay in the CCU for 1-3 days, depending on their progress.
Nurses will check your vital signs every hour or two at first, and then bit by bit, less often.
The team of doctors will visit you at least once per day, sometimes more often.
You will have a cardiac monitor attached to you, and an intravenous, so that we can give you medicines through a vein, if you need them. You will also likely receive some medicines for your heart by mouth. You will stay in bed mostly, except to walk short distances to the bathroom or to a chair, if your chest pain or other symptoms have gone away completely. Bit by bit, we will help you to increase your time out of bed.
Common tests while you are in CCU are an angiogram a Stress Test or an echocardiogram.
Family or loved ones may visit pretty well anytime in CCU (please buzz at the door to check with the nurse if it is a good time to visit). However, if we think you are tired and need rest, we may ask your family and friends to leave once in awhile, so you may rest.
If you are doing well, you will usually be transferred to the cardiology unit (on the 5th floor).
On the Cardiology Unit (5A)
The focus of your stay here is getting you stronger and getting you ready to go home. Your stay on the Cardiology Unit will average 2 to 5 days. Nurses and pharmacists will make sure you understand the medicines you will take at home. Guidelines for physical activity after you go home will be reviewed. If you are still feeling weak, a physiotherapist will work with you to gradually get you stronger. You may have more tests or procedures, including an angiogram , a stress test, an echocardiogram or a MIBI, if you haven’t already had them
One of the most important parts of your hospital admission will happen now. The entire team will help you look at what factors in your lifestyle might have played a part in your heart attack, and how you might begin to change them. We strongly encourage you to attend a cardiac rehabilitation program since attending will improve your enjoyment of life after your heart attack, and also improve your chances of survival. This could be one of the most important steps you take in your life. Your nurse will give you information about what programs are available in your area. Visitors to 5A are allowed from 12 noon until 8 pm.