What do you all think of tele patients drinking coffee

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I am just asking, because a lot of people like to have that cup of coffee in the morning, but I am usually reluctant to comply due to the diuretic effect of caffeine, not to mention the fact that it makes the heart race sometimes. Also, giving it to patients on a fluid restriction seems counterproductive. Why give them their bit of fluid in the form of coffee? It just seems like common sense not to give coffee, but our hospital does not have a policy on this matter. What do you all think, or what do you do in your practice?

Thanks!!

Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

I don't drink coffee, but I would be really PO'd if you told me I couldn't have something I wanted because YOU thought it wasn't good for me. This is where patient teaching comes in, go over the whys and wherefores about caffeine, pros and cons of decaf instead. Then let the patient make an informed decision and respect it. If someone is not willing to change their lifestyle, we need to try to accomodate their choices and if possible help find alternatives that will be acceptable instead of being inflexible.

Not to mention, if there are going to be changes with coffee on the tele, its better to know it now while they are in hospital instead of thinking everything is okay and they can go home.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

One thing about patients being monitored is that you can observe their rhythms in relationship to their caffeine intake. Our monitors have a wave history with a timeline, I assume all monitor systems do. I like to use this feature to track ectopy in relationship to the activity they were engaging in, relationship to meds, etc. You can also look to see if coffee affects their rhythm. Isn't that the point of monitoring the patient?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Quality Imp, Education.

I think it is OK unless the pt is going for persantine cardiolyte stress test. Even decaffeinated drinks within 12-24 hours of the test can cause a false negative test result.

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I feel like most are responding based on our acceptance and love for caffeine, but not really focusing on the fact that caffeine is a drug. When not pregnant, I drink coffee and understand its addiction. It's extremely addictive. I get the whole coffee thing, but it does have effects on the cardiac system. I love when I get a pt in rapid a fib who we've been trying to bring down to a normal heart rate all day, a stable patient thus far whom we want to stay that way, and find out that they have been drinking caffeinated products. You can't not wonder if there is some correlation there.

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One thing about patients being monitored is that you can observe their rhythms in relationship to their caffeine intake. Our monitors have a wave history with a timeline, I assume all monitor systems do. I like to use this feature to track ectopy in relationship to the activity they were engaging in, relationship to meds, etc. You can also look to see if coffee affects their rhythm. Isn't that the point of monitoring the patient?

ok, so if you think it does effect their rhythm you don't give it anymore?

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I don't drink coffee, but I would be really PO'd if you told me I couldn't have something I wanted because YOU thought it wasn't good for me. This is where patient teaching comes in, go over the whys and wherefores about caffeine, pros and cons of decaf instead. Then let the patient make an informed decision and respect it. If someone is not willing to change their lifestyle, we need to try to accomodate their choices and if possible help find alternatives that will be acceptable instead of being inflexible.

Not to mention, if there are going to be changes with coffee on the tele, its better to know it now while they are in hospital instead of thinking everything is okay and they can go home.

um, as health care professionals there a lot of things that we don't give patients because they aren't good for them. How many times have you heard a nurse say that she wasn't really concerned that a patient was in pain because they were probably addicts, and purposefully didn't respond to a pain med request in a timely manner for that reason. Or the time that my pt had a sbp

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I asked this question because I want to know what nurses out there think are the pros and cons to having caffeinated beverages on a tele unit that are based on medical fact, not our own beliefs about the importance of them to us

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In our hospital, we allow only decaf. but, sometimes depending on the circumstance and what condition the pt is in, we will give 1/2 decaf and 1/2 reg if the docs okay it. Plus.. you know as soon as they get out, they're going straight to the coffee shop.

yeah, and any other drug addict is going to the shop of their drug of choice as well. Does that mean that it's ok for them to do and would not have affected their treatment in the hospital had they been using it there? The difference with caffeine is that it's culturally acceptable. My question is that even though it is acceptable, is it safe??

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No coffee, no fat, no dairy, no meat, no sugar, no smoking, no nothing.

We can't take everything away. If coffee makes a certain individual go into a dangerous arrythmia then it must be discussed and cut back. I think it is very easy for us to judge from our side of the hospital bed.

I would allow any stable patient to have most foods or beverages in moderation. If I found their family was bringing in those majorly high extra double cappaccinos I would also have an issue with it if if hurt the patient.

Not everyone reacts to caffiene poorly. Some of us get tachycardic and headachy without that one good a.m or afternoon cup.

Could I live without it? Sure. But why live at all if you feel deprived of every pleasure. Being in the hospital strips one of their dignity, privacy and independence already. They are not children(though somtimes act like it)

I'm not judging anyone because they drink coffee!! I'm just wondering if it is medically safe for them.

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Many things we eat and drink have no nutritional value and we still eat/drink them. That may be what got them to the tele floor in the first place. However, it is not for me to tell a stable tele patient that they can't have their cup of regular coffee when they have been having it for years. What beverage are you planning on giving them that has nutritional value, besides meal replacement drinks? Juice is mostly sugar. Water is good but not everyone wants to drink water all day long.

Perhaps I phrased that wrong. Water may have no vitamins and minerals, but it has an extreme nutritional value. It is the most beneficial medium in our entire body and I don't think many realize it's value. I drink a gallon/day and that's what keeps me going. i will drink maybe 1/4 cup coffee to give me a boost in the middle of a 12 hr shift, but not much because I'm pregnant. Thank god that works for me!!!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I think the verdict is still out whether or not it's safe for cardiac patients to drink coffee. The studies seem to be inclusive. The standard is for cardiac patients to drink decaf.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=PubMed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=2215561&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus

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I think the verdict is still out whether or not it's safe for cardiac patients to drink coffee. The studies seem to be inclusive. The standard is for cardiac patients to drink decaf.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=PubMed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=2215561&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus

Thanks!!

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