The coronary intensive care unit is a specialized unit equipped with high-technology and continuous monitoring capabilities, where emergency cardiac conditions, primarily acute coronary syndromes, are monitored and treated. The Koru Hospital Coronary Intensive Care Unit performs life-saving interventions in the fastest and most effective manner with its experienced team in the fields of cardiology and emergency medicine.
Conditions Treated in Coronary Intensive Care
The primary cardiac emergencies monitored and treated in the unit are as follows:
- Acute Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack): Critical period monitoring is performed for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) cases following emergency interventional treatment.
- Unstable Angina Pectoris: Monitoring and risk stratification are performed for high-risk patients, such as those with resting angina or new-onset angina.
- Acute Heart Failure: Hemodynamic support therapies are applied in cases of acute decompensated heart failure and cardiogenic shock.
- Life-Threatening Arrhythmias: Emergency management is provided for ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, complete heart block, and supraventricular arrhythmias causing hemodynamic instability.
- Acute Pulmonary Embolism: Thrombolytic therapy and anticoagulation protocols are applied in cases of massive and submassive pulmonary embolism.
- Hypertensive Crisis: Controlled blood pressure reduction therapies are conducted for hypertensive emergencies carrying a risk of target organ damage.
- Acute Pericarditis and Myocarditis: Intensive care level monitoring and treatment are provided for inflammatory cardiac diseases.
Cardiac Monitoring System
The fundamental distinguishing feature of the coronary intensive care unit is its capacity for continuous and multi-parameter cardiac monitoring:
- Continuous ECG Monitoring: ST-segment changes and arrhythmia alarms are evaluated in real-time through 12-lead ECG tracking.
- Hemodynamic Monitoring: Invasive and non-invasive arterial blood pressure, central venous pressure, and cardiac output measurements are recorded continuously.
- Pulse Oximetry and Capnography: Oxygen saturation and respiratory parameters are monitored instantaneously.
- Cardiac Biomarker Tracking: Treatment response is evaluated through serial measurements of biomarkers such as Troponin, CK-MB, BNP, and D-dimer.
- Bedside Echocardiography: Bedside ultrasonography is applied for the emergency assessment of left ventricular function, wall motion abnormalities, and structural pathologies.
Emergency Interventional Treatment Coordination
In acute coronary syndrome cases, keeping the door-to-balloon time to a minimum is of vital importance. The coronary intensive care unit has an emergency activation protocol integrated with the cardiology catheterization laboratory. The team, which is on standby twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in STEMI cases, can intervene within minutes.
Post-Intervention Monitoring
Intensive monitoring protocols are applied to patients following percutaneous coronary intervention or thrombolytic therapy to evaluate reperfusion success, detect bleeding complications early, and prevent potential complications such as stent thrombosis.
Team Structure and Workflow
Cardiology specialists, intensive care nurses, and auxiliary healthcare personnel serve in the coronary intensive care unit twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The number of patients per nurse is kept limited in accordance with international standards, ensuring the highest level of individual patient care quality.
Patient and Relative Information
Regular updates are provided to patient relatives during the coronary intensive care process, and transparent communication is maintained regarding the treatment plan and expected clinical course. Referrals to cardiac rehabilitation programs after discharge and the planning of secondary prevention treatments are also coordinated by the unit team.
Within the Koru Hospital Coronary Intensive Care Unit, we protect the lives of our patients by providing the fastest intervention in acute cardiac emergencies with our expert staff.