Question 1

what is a cardiac telemetry floor used for?

Accepted Answer

Heart rhythm monitor: This is a floor with the capability to monitor the heart rhythm of patients with conditions which might be associated with heart rhythm abnormalities (arrhythmias).

Question 2

what is the definition or description of: cardiac telemetry?

Accepted Answer

Telemetry: It is a heart monitor which provides live, "real time" data on heart rhythm. It can be done in the hospital or as an outpatient.

Question 3

what are the major differences between cardiac monitoring and telemetry?

Accepted Answer

None: Though i suppose any individual institution may vary their specific terminology, usually these things are synonymous. There is outpatient cardiac monitoring which has several variants, all of which boil down to "at home remote telemetry.".

Question 4

in a hospital telemetry unit (for cardiac patients), who staffs it (i.e., what kinds of doctors and nurses)? if you get transferred to telemetry from another floor, does your doctor go with you?

Accepted Answer

Varies by location: A telemetry unit most frequently would have patients taken care of by cardiologists, internists, or family medicine doctors.  The nurses on a cardiac unit should be acls (advanced cardiac life support) certified. If you physically move floors in a hospital, your doctor should remain the same. An exception may be a transfer to an intentive care unit- may have different doctors while you are there.

Question 5

can someone explain telemetry monitoring? what is a telemetry floor? my mother was a cardiac patient with a pacemaker and type 2 diabetic with an abnormal ekg and elevated cardiac enzymes. she was found unresponsive and cold and had suffered a m.i.. she a

Accepted Answer

Her : Her abnormal ekg and elevated enzymes indicate that she probably came into the hospital with an mi.  Anoxic encephalopathy can occur as quickly as 2 - 4 minutes, or potentially even less depending on her condition prior to the arrest.  A telemetry floor is where patients are placed so that their heart rhythm can be monitored continuously, either by the nurses on the floor or a specially trained technician.  A telemetry box, attached to ekg leads on the patient, transmits the rhythm strip wirelessly to a central monitoring station.  Training in interpretation of ekg's is usual for nurses on such a floor.  On a telemetry floor response to an arrest will be much quicker than in a situation where the heart rhythm is not monitored.  Arrests can still happen, though, since the heart rhythm may continue for a while after a patient stops breathing or even, insome instances after the heart stops pumping blood.

Question 6

i put on telemetry to myself, when sitting down it's normal rhythm. when i start doing something it goes into vtach should i see a cardiologist?

Accepted Answer

See doc: Definitely have a doctor look at the strips if you recorded them.  If it really is v tach, brought on by exercise, this is concerning - particularly if more that 3 beats in a row.

Question 7

is it hard sleeping in the telemetry unit?

Accepted Answer

Hospital= poor sleep: Being in the hospital interferes with normal sleep patterns.  The lights are on, there are buzzers and bells and nurses and others entering the room at all times of the day and night, in telemetry you have wires attached to you.  Sleep is poorer for everyone in the hospital.

Question 8

how do nurses or doctors tell when inpatient, non telemetry patients "code" ? would they just find them deceased on their next round?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Nobody knows how much time we have left in this world. For patients in the hospital not critically ill, they can die in their sleep, just like you and I can die sleeping at home. A dead person could be found during the next staff rounding, if at the hospital. A "code" can be called, but a person who's been dead for more than a few minutes is not truly a "code" because he's really been dead awhile.

Question 9

what are the differences between a progressive care unit and a telemetry unit?

Accepted Answer

Not much, really.: A telemetry unit has continueous ECG monitoring for its patients.  A progressive care unit usually has telemetry, but since it may be a level of care between ICU and a regular medical floor, may have fewer patients per rn.  There is no standard for progressive care, so it's up to the hospital to decide what the terms mean and what care is given.

Question 10

doc thought i had ectopic atrial tach and said excactly where the signal came from(left atria) so it shouldnt have been reentry tach right?(telemetry)

Accepted Answer

Please read: I've found a reference just for you! As you can see, the overall prognosis is very good. Please read the introduction, discussion, and conclusions in particular: 
http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/content/20/9/694.full.pdf

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Doctor answers about:

Cardiac telemetry

A member asked:

What is a cardiac telemetry floor used for?

A member asked:

What is the definition or description of: cardiac telemetry?

A member asked:

What are the major differences between cardiac monitoring and telemetry?

A member asked:

In a hospital telemetry unit (for cardiac patients), who staffs it (i.e., what kinds of doctors and nurses)? if you get transferred to telemetry from another floor, does your doctor go with you?

A member asked:

Can someone explain telemetry monitoring? what is a telemetry floor? my mother was a cardiac patient with a pacemaker and type 2 diabetic with an abnormal ekg and elevated cardiac enzymes. she was found unresponsive and cold and had suffered a m.i.. she a

A member asked:

I put on telemetry to myself, when sitting down it's normal rhythm. when i start doing something it goes into vtach should i see a cardiologist?

A member asked:

Is it hard sleeping in the telemetry unit?

A member asked:

How do nurses or doctors tell when inpatient, non telemetry patients "code" ? would they just find them deceased on their next round?

A member asked:

What are the differences between a progressive care unit and a telemetry unit?

A member asked:

Doc thought i had ectopic atrial tach and said excactly where the signal came from(left atria) so it shouldnt have been reentry tach right?(telemetry)

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