mtwedt

mtwedt has 28 years experience and specializes in Cardiac Surgical Recovery, Critical Care.

Latest Activity

1. post-op cabg care

   mtwedt replied to jetty's topic in CCU

   All our patients have Swans at our center. Volume resuscitation is determined by a patients individual hemodynamic needs and is nurse driven as to how much is given and when initially post-op, up to 5 units of Albumin 5%. It is highly patient speci...

2. Question about dopamine

   mtwedt replied to lenka SRN's topic in Cardiac

   I agree with the other posters. The primary concern in using Dopamine, or other positive inotropes, in the setting of chest pain, is that of increasing myocardial O2 demand in an ischemic heart, thereby increasing ischemia and potential for arrythmi...

3. chest tubes

   mtwedt replied to deadlydevil's topic in CCU

   I think you are referring to the Argyle plastic tubing that connects the drain to the suction source, correct?. If you need to transport a patient, you have three options: Remove the suction tubing from the drain and transport the patient on water ...

4. New grad to CVICU?

   mtwedt replied to PaulieGooner's topic in CCU

   Most new grad positions are for nights. You can, at least, earn a bit more money to pay off school loans! I have found the clinical management of the patient at night often more discreet on the day of surgery, doing the final dialing in of the pati...

5. What do you think?

   mtwedt replied to 4jen's topic in CCU

   I went straight to Critical Care nearly 30 years ago when the training/orientation was much less and I never regretted it. Your concerns and doubts are natural and healthy, they will motivate you to learn as much as possible and to always keep learn...

6. What liability coverage do you carry?

   mtwedt replied to nursecass's topic in CCU

   I have 1,000,000/3,000,000 attached to my homeowner's insurance. It was cheaper. I have State Farm. My agent brought it up many years ago. My understanding of lawsuits against nurses is that they are directed at the hospital, under the premise of...

7. Mediastinal Bleeding and Turning

   mtwedt replied to SH18D's topic in CCU

   Our institution has no policy regarding this situation, but I agree with the other respondents. The issue is the bleeding at a rate of 100ml/hr. beyond the first few hours. A coagulopathy work up is indicated. Turning facilitates drainage and there...

8. Primacor drip

   mtwedt replied to Genista's topic in CCU

   It's interesting to read everyone else's experiences. For the Home Health RN who reactivated the thread, I would think that whatever protocol you have in place for home Dobutamine would be acceptable for home Milrinone. Proper discharge teaching fo...