With the addition of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and the GE Innova 3100 imaging system and its flat-panel technology, Brookwood Medical Center now boasts two fully integrated catheter labs. “Now we can do all coronary procedures, as well as peripheral vascular procedures,” said Tom Wills, RN, BSN, director of Cardiovascular Services. The GE Innova 3100 offers all-digital cardiovascular and interventional imaging, helping physicians visualize fine vessels and precisely place stents. Wills says that they chose the GE Innova 3100 over smaller and larger sizes because of the flexibility it provides. “The 4100 limits angulation,” he said. “The 3100 is small enough for coronary procedures, but allows us to perform mixed procedures. We can see both legs with it.” The iLabTM Ultrasound Imaging System from Boston Scientific is an IVUS that uses high-frequency sound waves that reflect off tissue in the arterial walls, providing the physician with a cross-sectional view from inside the artery. IVUS shows the physician where the healthy arterial wall ends and the plaque begins. Combining IVUS with angiography provides a more complete picture of the diseased artery and helps the cardiologist to determine the best treatment option. The new equipment has “more than doubled” the number of procedures Brookwood is capable of performing, according to Wills. In addition, they now use the Optiflex inventory system, which provides for an in-time delivery of products, so inventory of the 15,000 parts required to care for patients is more efficient. Wills says their electrophysiology (EP) physicians complete the spectrum of care provided at Brookwood. “Our EP physicians have additional fellowship training in ventricular tachycardia,” he said. “In addition to medications, pacemakers and internal defibrillators, we can perform radiofrequency ablation as a treatment option. Through an EP study, the physician can identify the area causing the problem. They touch on the part using radio frequency, and burn a scar, which covers the area causing a problem. Not everyone does radio-frequency ablation. But medications can make a patient drowsy and cause low energy. Ablation lowers the amount of meds needed.” In addition to the lab renovations, recovery rooms have been renovated as well. Eight private recovery rooms are now spacious enough for the patient and all equipment, as well as any family members who wish to be present during recovery. Equipment is mounted on booms that can rotate around the bed, allowing for many placement options, depending on the height of the patient or nurse, or the number of family members in the room. “Patients can even request to have their bed placed by the window, and we can accommodate,” said Terri Scarborough, RN, BSN, CCRN, director of the Cardiovascular Surgical Unit. “We used to be open-bay with no walls, just curtains. Now we have more privacy for families.” State-of-the-art hospital beds have been installed in each room. “They do everything but feed the patients,” Scarborough said with a laugh. The beds maintain a history of how long the head of the bed is up or the side rails are down. They can be moved by the push of a button, making it easier for the nurses to place a patient comfortably. This not only cuts down on jarring the patient, but saves wear and tear on the backs and knees of the nurses. When patients have a primary language other than English, the beds also provide translations for key medical terms and procedures, improving communication without the delay of waiting for a translator. And dialysis capabilities are available for any patient with pre-existing renal problems. Even the step-down units have been renovated with flat-screen televisions, recliners, and central heat and air that are adjustable for each room. Scarborough said the renovations enable the medical staff to make patients more comfortable following surgery. “I think we have the top nurses in the hospital,” she said. “Our staff is specially trained for recovering open-heart patients. The doctors here have always loved our nursing care, but they hated the open-bay set up. They want to send everyone here now!” July 2008