Hello everyone,
I'm going to use this blog to share some of my thoughts and feelings about caring for cardiac patients with you, and I'll pass along some resources too. I hope you will feel free to share comments and questions, and certainly any tips or resources that you have for the rest of us. Check back frequently during this course for new postings, I'll try to post a few times each week.
I have taken care of patients with cardiac issues for years, both in medical-surgical units, and in Intensive Care Units - adult and neonatal. One thing I've learned for sure, when the heart isn't working right, everything is affected. As we explore the world of cardiac patients, including EKG interpretation, it is important to remember that physiology and pathophysiology are essential to understand, but we need to relate that information to our patient and how it will impact his or her life. The patient, or client, is the center of what we do and why we do it.
To start, you can check out this site: http://www.skillstat.com/PDF/mceCO.pdf It's a great review of cardiac output!
Take care,
Barbara
