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Your First Visit to a Hospital-Based Facility
Before the Test or Procedure
When you arrive, go to the Admitting Department first. It is here that you will register. Next, you will be directed to the lab to have blood drawn. While waiting for the blood test to be processed, you will be escorted to a special waiting area.
A nurse will come and get you once the results of your blood work are complete. She will be escort you into the pre-procedure unit, take your medical history and ask about medications you are taking, allergies to medications, and provide information about the procedure. You will be asked to sign a consent-to-treat form, giving the AMI physician permission to perform the test or procedure.
Next, the nurse usually starts an IV for administration of fluids and intravenous sedation. While she is preparing the IV, she will review with you what to expect before and after the procedure, and answer basic questions.
Once the IV is in, the physician arrives to introduce him or herself. The physician will review your history and physical with you, answer your questions, and explain the procedure--including its benefits, risks, and alternatives.
During the Procedure
You may be placed on a cold table in a cool room, depending on your procedure. This is because the room has to be temperature controlled for the imaging and computer equipment to work properly. Throughout the procedure, you will be sedated--which means you will be relaxed with intravenous medicine. The physician and nursing staff will monitor your vital signs using ECG, blood pressure and oxygen saturation equipment. You will be given oxygen throughout the entire process.
After the Procedure
The physician will talk with your family immediately after the procedure, to let them know how things went. The technicians and nurses will remove the catheter that was used during the procedure, and apply a dressing to the puncture site. If you've had a procedure that requires tubes to be left in place, the staff will apply a dressing.
You will be taken up to a short stay unit for recovery. The nurses will make you comfortable, give you pain medication, and offer you food and drink. You and your family will be provided with post-operative instructions, and told what to expect in the days following the procedure. After you have adequately recovered from the procedure, you will be released. An overnight stay is rarely required.
