CCU Discharge Process
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The CCU team will review the following before discharge:
- Incision and wound care issues
- Sternal precautions
- Bathing
- Activity restrictions
- Pain control
- Home medications and feeding
- NG teaching (if applicable)
- Safe Sleep/Car seat (if applicable)
- When to call the care team or come to the hospital after discharge
- CPR training (if applicable)
Getting Ready to Leave the Hospital
Your child will have their follow up appointments scheduled before they leave the hospital. Generally, you will follow up with CV Surgery within one week of discharge and you will follow up with your cardiologist about a month after discharge. We also ask that your child see their pediatrician within 2 weeks of leaving the hospital.
Before you go home, you will need to pick up your child's medications and bring them to the bedside for one of our nurses to check. Please make sure you have received education on all medicines your child will need for discharge (when they go home). Please make sure you know what the medicines are for, how often they need to be given, and how much you need to give. You may also be required to complete the Friends and Family CPR or be given a CPR Anytime kit prior to discharge. We want to give you the skills needed to save your child if their heart stops beating when they are at home. We hope you never have to use this information, but we want you to know what to do just in case.
Before you go home you will also get specific instructions from your provider and nurse about caring for your child. Please note that teaching will take time, so please start discussing discharge instructions with your care team during the first day of your stay. Learn more about at-home care here.