Surgery Pathways

[kcalohagirl]

I've got a question.....

On my floor we use a pathway for all of our s/p CABG patients. It starts on the day of the op and continues until POD 4/discharge, witha addenda for the patients who don't make it out "on time". Each day has goals that the patient should be meeting, for example, "SpO2 92% on RA or at baseline" "FSBS

Does anyone else use these types of pathways?

We are in the process of putting together a similar pathway for our thoracotomy patients. Does anyone currently use these? If you do, what are some of the things you have on them?

Thanks a lot for any input you can give.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I have seen these in the cardiothoracic surgical ICU and stepdown unit at my hospital.

I have only floated to these units, so I do not remember that many of the interventions. What I do remember is a lot of getting patients out of bed and ambulating in the hallways, and getting OOB for all meals.