Family Visiting Philosophy - We believe families are an integral part of the care of patients.  Our goal is to meet the needs of the patient and family by providing flexible, open visiting hours that foster respect and maintain confidentiality.

Please select a family spokesperson.  This person(s) will be responsible for informing other family members of the patient's progress.

Glossary of Terms

Arterial Line - Catheter inserted into an artery for direct, continuous measurement of a  patient's blood pressure.

Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) - Chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth ventilation on a person who has no pulse and is not breathing.

Cardiac Enzymes - Blood tests that help determine if a patient has suffered a heart attack.

Cardioversion - A procedure for returning the heart to a normal rhythm by an electrical stimulus.

CAT SCAN (CT Scan, computerized Axial Tomography) - A non-invasive technique using X-rays and a computer to obtain a cross-sectional view of the body.

Code Blue - A signal to specialized staff that a cardiac or respiratory arrest has occurred and that cardiac massage and artificial ventilation should be started.

EKG (ECG, Electrocardiogram) - The recording of the electrical impulse of the heart.

Health Care Directive - A legal document drawn up by an individual expressing his or her wishes regarding the use of life-prolonging measures.

IV Line (Intravenous Line) - A catheter placed in a vein to administer fluids, medications and nutrients to the patient.

IV Pump - A machine that regulates the flow of IV fluids to the patient.

Myocardial Infarction (MI or heart attack) - Death to an area of the heart muscle caused by lack of blood flow and oxygen to that area.

No Code Blue - A decision arrived at by the patient of family that in the event the heart stops or breathing ceases, cardiac compressions and breathing assistance will not be started.  This may also be called a "Do Not Resuscitate" order.

Organ Donation - Donation of healthy organs from a deceased person for transplantation into someone in need of such an organ.

Oximeter - A device placed on an ear or finger to determine how much oxygen is in the blood o an individual.

Pacemaker - An electronic device that sends an impulse to the muscle of the heart to initiate a heart beat.

Respirator/Ventilator - A machine that assists patient's breathing when they are unable to adequately breath on their own.

Stress or Treadmill Test - A procedure for evaluating the heart's electrical activity and response to physical stress produced by exercise.