A New Beginning 2012-7 - UHSM

Eating and drinking
Soon after the tube in your throat has been removed you will be able to drink again. Most people
are ready to eat again on the evening of the first day after the operation. You will be offered light
meals to start with.
Telephone enquiries and visiting arrangements
A member of staff will telephone your next of kin (within the hour) when you have been
transferred from the theatre and arrived on CTCCU.
Telephone enquiries are welcome at any time of the day or night. In order to help the nursing
staff who are caring for you, we ask that only one or two family members ring the unit. They
can then pass on the information to other family members. We understand that relatives are
anxious to enquire but each time the nurse has to answer the phone they are taken away from
caring for you.
Visiting on the CTCCU is restricted to immediate family only. On the day of your operation we do
not encourage relatives to visit. Nevertheless we realise that this day will be an anxious time for
your family and in some instances visiting may be possible. Please ask members of your family
to contact the CTCCU and speak to the nurse who is looking after you. He/she will make
arrangements for them. Normal visiting arrangements can be resumed on the first day after your
surgery. Before visiting, your family should contact the CTCCU by telephone to check whether
you have been transferred to another ward. Visiting times on CTCCU are 2 - 4.30pm and
6 - 8pm. This is to allow protected meal times for patients and also to provide rest time for
patients. Unfortunately due to health and safety reasons and also infection control, flowers are
not allowed on the unit or wards.
Mobile phones and camera attachments are not to be used on the CTCCU.
Cardiothoracic Ward
When you are transferred off the CTCCU, it is likely you will move to Ward F6 (or to Jim Quick
Ward). It is recommended that the number of visitors to the ward is restricted to a maximum of
three visitors per patient. Children under the age of 12 are discouraged from visiting the ward.
Permission for children to visit should be obtained beforehand from the nurse in charge. Visiting
times on Ward F6 are 2 - 4pm and 6 - 8pm. Out of hours visiting will need prior arrangements
with the ward sister.
Diabetes
Diabetes occurs when the glucose level in the blood is too high. Glucose is a sugar that the body
makes mainly from the starches and sugars (carbohydrates) in food. The blood carries glucose
to all the cells in the body, where it is used to produce energy. However, the cells cannot just
take the glucose out of the blood; to do this, they need a hormone called insulin. Insulin is made
in the pancreas – (a large gland that lies behind the stomach), and is carried in the blood. Insulin
allows the glucose to move from the blood and into the cells, therefore enabling the glucose level
in the blood to fall.
There are two types of diabetes:
Type 1 – when the body does not produce any insulin
Type 2 – when the body does not produce enough insulin, or the cells of the body are
unable to use insulin effectively.
In diabetes, glucose levels in the blood rise because glucose cannot move from the blood into
the cells due to a lack of insulin. The cells become starved of glucose (fuel) which leads to
symptoms of diabetes. Diabetes increases the risk of coronary heart disease and can cause
other serious health problems. Diabetes damages the heart in several ways.
• High glucose levels in the blood affect the walls of the arteries, making them more
likely to develop atheroma (plaque).
• Platelets stick together more easily.
• Diabetes increases the damage done by the major coronary heart disease risk factors
of smoking, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol.
• Diabetes can affect the heart muscle itself, making it a less efficient pump.
• People with Type 2 diabetes often have lower levels of HDL cholesterol.
• Diabetes can affect the nerves to the heart so that the symptoms of heart disease
are not felt in the usual way.
If you have this condition we will give you more information and, if necessary, you may be
referred to a Diabetic Nurse whilst you are in hospital.
A normal blood sugar is between 4 - 9 mmols. If your blood sugar is consistently higher than this
your medication (either insulin or tablets) may need adjusting. You should contact your practice
nurse, district nurse, GP or Diabetes Nurse Specialist. You should attend your GP surgery for
regular diabetic check ups, which include a blood test which tests your long-term blood sugars
(HbA1c).
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