What is the process of monitoring hospitalized retired soldiers?

The retired soldier who is hospitalized in the cath lab should be continuously monitored by electrocardiography. The diagnosis of acute MI is confirmed by serial ECGs and measurements of serum cardiac markers of myocyte necrosis, such as creatine kinase isoenzymes. The patient should be monitored closely by a member of staff for adverse electrical or mechanical events because reinfection and death occur most frequently within the first 24 hours. The patient’s physical activities should be limited for at least 12 hours, and pain and anxiety should be minimized with appropriate analgesics. Although the use of prophylactic antiarrhythmic agents in the first 24 hours of hospitalization is not recommended, atropine, lidocaine, transcutaneous pacing patches or a transvenous pacemaker, a defibrillator, and epinephrine should be immediately available.

During this time it is important to be around the patient as it will make the patient feel more secure knowing they are not alone. The patient may interact with many different employees, including nurses, physicians, technicians, and others depending on the type of healthcare problem. Therefore, effective clinical practice is necessary as a wide variety of critical information is shared by accurately communication. Including, team collaboration is essential. However, when health care professionals do not follow those procedures or do not communicate effectively, patient safety is in danger for several causes: misinterpretation of information, deficiency of critical information, uncertain information or orders over the telephone, and overlooked changes in status.