Progressive Cardiac Care
The hospitals’ Progressive Cardiac Care Units (PCCU) serve heart patients who are stable and improving, but still require specialized care.
Some patients come to the unit after spending three or four days in the CCU or CVICU recovering from surgery. Others are brought directly to PCCU for a variety of cardiac-related reasons, including experiencing a heart attack, recovery after undergoing a procedure in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab or complications from congestive heart failure.
Patients usually stay in PCCU for three to four days. From there, they are transferred to another unit, such as Telemetry, or they are discharged from the hospital. Demonstrating our commitment to quality, nurse-to-patient ratios are 1 to 3 or 1 to 4, depending on patients’ circumstances.
Tests Given in Progressive Cardiac Care
While in PCCU, patients may undergo special procedures or tests, including cardioversion, tilt-table testing and transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE).
During cardioversion, electrical shock is used to restore a normal heartbeat in patients experiencing an erratic heart rhythm, which is also called atrial fibrillation.
Tilt-table testing is done in PCCU for inpatients and outpatients. During the test, patients are slowly tilted from a standing position until they are laying flat on their back. Their blood pressure and heart rate are monitored throughout the test to help determine whether a pacemaker is needed.
In addition to being performed in Diagnostic Imaging and during surgery, TEEs are also done at the patient’s bedside in PCCU.
PCCU Centers at John C. Lincoln Hospitals
At John C. Lincoln Deer Valley Hospital, the PCCU grew from 10 beds to a new 30-bed unit in September 2006 as part of the hospital’s $48 million expansion. It is located on the 3rd floor of the hospital’s new Pavilion 2.
At John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital, the PCCU includes 20 beds. It is located on the hospital’s 2nd floor.