CABG nursing cares for patients before and after heart surgery, educating them and their families about the procedure and managing anxiety. They monitor patients’ respiratory and cardiac functions, adjust pain medications, and watch for complications such as bleeding, stroke, and infection.
Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) nursing specializes in caring for patients before and after heart surgery. CABG nursing includes educating patients and their families about open heart surgery and explaining what happens during the procedure and during recovery. Immediately after bypass surgery, nursing care includes intensive monitoring of patients’ respiratory and cardiac functions and other signs of complications.
Prior to the operation, nurses commonly meet with the patient and family members to provide details about the surgery and answer questions. CABG nursing includes managing the fear and anxiety typically associated with heart surgery. Nurses commonly explain how they will care for the patient throughout the process and what the recovery process involves.
Healthcare professionals who specialize in coronary artery nursing sometimes assist in the operating room during surgery. Others only perform tasks related to pre-op and post-op care. Professionals employed in CABG nursing units are trained in the medical procedures and equipment used during open heart surgeries. They are familiar with the various drugs used during the operation and the possible complications of these drugs in the recovery room.
Full CABG nursing occurs immediately after heart bypass surgery, usually in a cardiac intensive care unit. These nurses monitor the patient’s breathing, heart rate, pain, and neurological responses. They also watch for internal or external bleeding that could indicate an emergency. CABG nursing assistance provides for an almost constant evaluation of the patient in the hours immediately following the operation. It can be demanding and stressful work.
Patients undergoing cardiac surgery are intubated during surgery to allow breathing during the operation and until the anesthesia wears off. CABG nursing duties include watching the patient afterward for any breathing problems. The nurse checks the patient’s oxygen levels frequently and helps wean the patient off the ventilator. He or she must adjust pain medications to control discomfort without depressing the patient’s ability to breathe.
Blood pressure and heart rate are essential during the hours immediately following open heart surgery. CABG Nursing Specialists might use medications to relieve pressure on the newly transplanted arteries. They also watch for stroke, which is a complication of this type of surgery. Nurses check the patient’s pupils and conduct sensory evaluations in the recovery room.
They also measure urine output to ensure the patient is getting enough fluids via intravenous solutions. During and after major heart surgery, patients use a catheter that typically stays in place until the patient is able to get to the bathroom. If urine output is too low, nurses adjust the amount of fluid going to the patient.
CABG nursing also involves wound care of the incisions and around the chest tubes that allow for drainage. The nurse monitors healing and looks for signs of infection or inflammation in the chest area and near the sutures at the vein donation site, commonly the leg. He or she also checks the patient’s blood cell count and orders medications as needed.
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