Patient Education Cardiac Diagnostic Services

Transcription

1 Patient Education Steps to a healthy heart Coronary intervention procedures are used to open one or more of the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to your heart muscle. This handout is designed as a guideline for you on activity, follow-up care and medications. It can also help you get started on reducing your particular risk factors. Name: Date: Doctor: Phone: Procedure Coronary interventions are done by a specialized health care team in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. There are many (interventions) to open the coronary arteries. Your doctor will select the method that is best for your blood vessel. Intercoronary Stent is one type of percutaneous coronary intervention Now that your heart is getting more blood and oxygen, it will work better. This is what you can do for your heart. Take Charge Decide to make changes to improve the quality, and maybe the length, of your life. There are many steps you can take to change your lifestyle and lower your risk factors for heart disease. Do all that you can. Of course, family history of heart disease is a risk factor neither you nor your doctor can control. Medical problems, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, are risk factors that can be controlled with regular medical care. Other controllable risk factors for heart disease include: smoking high cholesterol excess weight diet

2 Page 2 After You Go Home CALL 911 If bleeding or sudden swelling occurs at the groin site, have someone apply pressure just above the bandage for at least 20 min. If the affected leg becomes numb and/or cold and blue. Call Your Doctor If you have groin pain and it is not relieved by (Tylenol ). If the amount of bruising seems abnormal or does not start to go away after one week. (You may have bruising in the groin and thigh areas which will decrease over several days.) Self Care Remove the bandage from your groin the day after your procedure. You do not need to replace it. Activity Have someone else drive you home. Do not drive at all today. Rest today. You may get up to go to the bathroom. You may climb stairs slowly. You may shower tomorrow. No baths or hot tubs for two days. This will help prevent infection in your groin area. For seven days, avoid heavy lifting (over 10 pounds) or straining. This will prevent bleeding and allow your groin artery to heal. Talk to your doctor about when to return to work. Increase your activity level slowly. After checking with your doctor, start (or resume) aerobic activity such as walking or a cardiac rehabilitation program. Follow-up Schedule a follow-up visit with your heart or family doctor. It is important that you do not miss this check-up. Follow up appointments are usually scheduled for 2-4 weeks after you leave the hospital.

3 Page 3 After your procedure, the artery in your heart can become blocked again. Watch for the same symptoms that you had before the procedure. Call your doctor right away if symptoms do occur. Medication Instructions Your doctor will prescribe aspirin to prevent clotting in the artery that was treated. You will be taking a medication similar to aspirin called Plavix (clopidogrel) for one month if you had a stint placed. For minor pain at the procedure site, you may take regular or extra strength (Tylenol ) (325 or 500mg) according to directions. Keep taking your prescribed medicines. Call your doctor if you have side effects, but do not stop taking the medicines unless told to by your doctor. Be sure to carry a list of your medicines with you at all times. Bring all of your medicines with you whenever you see your doctor. Remember the American Heart Association s recommended usage of nitroglycerin. If you experience angina symptoms: 1. Take a nitroglycerin under your tongue. If the discomfort doesn t go away in five minutes, take a second nitroglycerine. 2. Wait five minutes and if your angina persists, take a third nitroglycerin. 3. If the pain persists after 15 minutes and 3 nitroglycerin, do not drive yourself to the hospital! CALL 911. Medicines Name Dosage Instructions

4 Page 4 Risk Factors Smoking Tar and nicotine from smoking cause your arteries to narrow and spasm. Carbon monoxide in cigarettes also has a direct toxic effect upon the artery wall which reduces natural blood thinning effects. This can lead to re-blockage of the artery that your doctor opened. If you smoke, you need to stop now. You should also avoid being in the same room with anyone who is smoking. If you use nicotine patches or gum to stop smoking, DO NOT SMOKE while using them. Smoking while using nicotine products may cause a stroke or heart attack. The American Cancer Society has a list of stop smoking programs in the Seattle area. Call the Washington Division of the American Cancer Society at ACS-2345, or call or write one of the agencies listed below. If you live outside of the Seattle area, they will be glad to refer you to a program or agency in your area. Local Offices American Cancer Society st North Seattle, WA (206) American Heart Association 4414 Woodland Park Ave. N Seattle, WA (206) American Lung Association 2525 Third Seattle, WA (206) Diet, Cholesterol and Weight Reduction Diet is a very important factor in the treatment of and prevention of artery blockages after your procedure. Through proper diet and exercise, the risk of obesity can be controlled.

5 Page 5 Diet changes recommended for cardiac patients are: Restrict total fat intake (both saturated and unsaturated fats) to decrease the level of fats in the blood that can cause blockages in your arteries. Eat food low in cholesterol. Avoid foods high in sodium (salt) to prevent high blood pressure. Limit caffeine (coffee and tea) which is a stimulant to the heart. Reduce excess weight by following a reputable weight-reducing diet under a doctor s supervision. Plan to lose weight slowly. Make it a lifestyle change, not a crash diet. Ask your doctor if you need a cholesterol-lowering medication. Exercise Aerobic exercise may help you lose weight but, more important, it will help you feel better. Focus on making small changes gradually. Walking is just about a perfect exercise. Start with a five-minute stroll and work up to a 30- to 60-minute brisk walk, three times a week. There are lots of books, videos, and audio tapes that can work for you. Swimming is a great cardiovascular workout, but weight loss will be slower. Dietary Choices: Small Steps for Big Change! Food Recommended Avoid Beverages Fruit and vegetable juices, buttermilk, carbonated beverages, decaf coffee, low-fat (1%) or skim milk Cream, whole milk, evaporated milk, coffee with caffeine Bread Cereals Whole wheat, raisin, French, white, rye, bagel, graham crackers, pretzels All cereals, grains, and grain products such as spaghetti, rice, and macaroni Rolls or bread made with egg yolks or saturated fats (most commercial baked goods) Egg noodles

6 Page 6 Dairy Desserts Fruit Fats Meat, fish, and poultry Sweets and snacks Vegetables 1% or nonfat milk, buttermilk, nonfat yogurt, skim cottage cheese, sherbet, nonfat frozen yogurt Angel food cake, gelatin, meringue pies, and baked goods made with allowed ingredients such as polyunsaturated fats, skim milk, and egg whites, frozen yogurt, or nonfat ice creams Any fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit or juices; avocado in small amounts Safflower oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, canola oil, olive oil, soybean oil, peanut butter, and soft margarine Egg whites and substitutes, chicken and turkey (without skin), lean beef, veal, pork, lamb, fish and shellfish (boiled, baked or steamed), lentils, peas, beans Jams, jellies, honey, syrup; pure sugar candies without fat Any fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables without saturated fat; baked beans without bacon or fat Ice cream, cream cheese, sour cream, whipped topping, cream substitutes that contain coconut or palm oil, chocolate milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk Commercial baked goods that contain whole milk, saturated fats or egg yolks, cashews or macadamia nuts, chocolate Coconut Butter, cream, lard, bacon, and meat drippings; cocoa butter (chocolate), coconut, and palm oil Egg yolks, heavily marbled or fatty meats (luncheon meat, bacon, sausage), organ meats (liver, brain, kidney, and sweetbreads) Chocolate, caramel, butter mints, fudge Buttered, creamed, or fried vegetables; pork and beans Stress Tension, anxieties, emotional upsets, pressures and strains are all forms of stress. When you are under stress your blood pressure rises and your heart beats faster. All of these things make extra work for your heart. While you may be unable to control stress in your life, you can control how you respond to and deal with stress. Various methods can be used to help you relax and decrease the effects of stress on your body.

7 Page 7 Deep Breathing When you are tense, you tend to breathe faster, more shallowly and irregularly. To decrease the stress, inhale slowly through your nose, letting your abdomen blow up like a balloon. Exhale slowly through pursed lips, allowing your jaws to relax. Repeat this relaxed breathing until you feel the tension going away. Relaxation This exercise involves tensing and relaxing individual muscle groups. Work from your feet to your face, tightening, then relaxing one group of muscles at a time. When you are finished notice how much lighter your muscles feel. Imagery Try to visualize a situation that has been calming to you in the past. Try to imagine, as vividly as you can, doing whatever relaxes you most. You may picture yourself lying on a beach with the sun warming you, sounds of rolling surf, and warm sand. As you imagine this pleasant setting, your tension will decrease and go away. Another example of imagery would be to visualize a bright light shining down on you. You lift your face and look at the source of the light. Feel the light flood through your body. As the white light fills you, picture your tension as red light leaving your body through your feet. Classes and seminars are given by colleges and organizations such as the American Heart Association to help you learn and practice ways to control your response to stress.

8 Questions? If you have other questions that you would like to have answered before your next visit, please call us at the numbers below. Your questions are important to us! Conclusion For more information, ask your nurse or doctor about issues not covered in this booklet. You may want to know about when to return to work or have questions about renewing intimacy and sexual activity. Take care, and the best of health to you. In the first 24 hours after going home: 9-5 pm Monday-Friday: UWMC Cardiac Cath Lab (206) After Hours and Weekends: UWMC Paging Operator (206) (Ask for the Interventional Cardiologist On Call ) After the first 24 hours: Call your heart doctor or primary doctor Box NE Pacific St. Seattle, WA (206) University of Washington Medical Center 8/2001