Heart Patient Education - Cardiac Stent - Handwashing - Wound Care PreOp-PostCare Patient Engagement

To do a cardiac cath, a cardiologist places a thin tube called a catheter through an artery in your leg or arm to reach your heart.
The Femoral artery in the leg is most commonly used. The catheter is inserted into the artery in the groin then guided to reach the heart.
The radial artery in the arm is another site that a catheter can be placed. The catheter is inserted at the wrist then guided to reach the heart.
Which artery is selected for the procedure depends on your personal situation, and the experience and training of your Cardiologist.
A contrast dye that can be seen with an x-ray machine is given.
X-ray pictures and video of the dye show the cardiologist how blood is moving through your heart.

Treatment of coronary artery disease is based on several factors, including your other existing medical problems, particularly diabetes,...as well as how many arteries are blocked, ….and how severe, and where the arteries are blocked.

Non-invasive recommendations can include,
lifestyle changes, like improving your diet, starting an exercise routine, and finding ways to manage your stress. Also, quitting smoking and making changes in medications.

Common procedures to treat coronary artery disease include,
open heart bypass surgery to replace blocked arteries, and….
angioplasty to improve blood flow through the blockages

A heart catheterization procedure, also called cardiac cath is needed to decide which treatment option is appropriate for you.

A cardiac cath is the first step of an angioplasty

This video is about washing your hands to get rid of germs so that you don’t spread infection.

Germs are bacteria, yeast, and viruses that cause sickness and infection. They are so small you can’t see them.  

Germs are always on your hands and can be spread to other parts of your own body, to the person you are caring for and to anything else you touch.

Wash your hands after you cough, sneeze or blow your nose, handle trash and after you touch anything bloody or dirty.

You must wash your hands before and after you take care of a patient, touch their food or drink, and use the toilet.

For good handwashing, you need to wash for 20-30 seconds almost half a minute.  You can time yourself by humming the “Happy Birthday” song two times.  If you can see dirt on your hands, it takes even longer to get them clean, don’t rush.

Rubbing your hands together loosens dirt and germs from your skin and the running water washes them away.

Pay attention to clean the tops and bottoms of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

Use liquid soap if possible because bar soap can have germs on the outside.

Make sure paper towels and a trash bin are nearby.

Remove jewelry from your hands except for a wedding band and push your sleeves up.

Turn on the water and wet your hands.

Pump enough soap from the dispenser to cover your hands as you rub them together.

Start counting to 20 slowly at this point, or hum the “happy birthday” song 2 times.

Rub your fingers together, the back of each hand and around each thumb.

Get soap under your fingernails by rubbing your nails against the palm or inside of your other hand. If your nails are dirty, clean under them.

Keep rubbing your hands together until the end of your count.

Rinse your hands completely.

Because the sink has germs, use a paper towel to turn off the water.

Throw away the paper towel.

Use a new paper towel to dry your hands completely.

Then throw it away.

If soap and water are not available you may use alcohol-based, waterless hand sanitizers.  Use enough sanitizer to cover your hands completely when you rub them together and keep rubbing them together until they are dry.

Waterless sanitizers kill most but not all germs.  Sanitizers are not as good as soap and water for germs from diarrhea, especially a bacteria called CDiff (say “C” “Diff”).
They also do not work if you can see dirt on your hands or if they are wet from blood or something else.

Key points to remember with handwashing are to use soap from a pump dispenser, rub your hands together for 20-30 seconds, and rinse completely with water.

Remember with waterless hand sanitizers to rub in until dry, that they are not a good choice if you see dirt on your hands and that they do not kill all germs, especially those from diarrhea.