Cardiothoracic and Vascular Intensive Care and High Dependency Unit | Auckland | Te Toka Tumai

Auckland City Hospital

Contact Details

Phone (09) 375 7100
Email ADHBCVICU@adhb.govt.nz

Street Address

CVICU/CVHDU
Building 32 Level 4
Auckland City Hospital
2 Park Road
Grafton
Auckland 1023

Postal Address

Private Bag 92 024
Auckland Mail Centre
Auckland 1142

Description

The Cardiothoracic and Vascular Intensive Care and High Dependency Units (CVICU and CVHDU) provide intensive care and high dependency care for adult patients (>15 yrs) following cardiothoracic surgery, to cardiology patients requiring intensive therapies, and to all patients requiring mechanical respiratory or cardiovascular support. Intensive care for all other patients including following trauma, neurosurgery, and liver and kidney transplantation is provided by the Department of Critical Care Medicine and intensive care for burns is provided by the Middlemore Intensive Care Unit. 

The CVICU is divided into two areas - the Intensive Care Unit where the sickest patients are cared for and the High Dependency Unit where patients who are not well enough to return to the cardiothoracic or vascular wards are treated.

What is the Cardiothoracic and Vascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU)?
CVICU is principally a surgical intensive care unit. The patients are under the care of the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care consultant. Cardiothoracic Intensive Care refers to the specialist care given to patients for problems related to their heart or lungs. Most of our admissions are for patients following heart or lung surgery. Some patients require a special form of support for their heart or lungs called Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), and CVICU is the New Zealand referral centre for this therapy.

Who is admitted to CVICU/CVHDU?
Patients admitted to CVICU may include the following surgical patients: 

a) all patients having cardiac surgery
b) patients having lung surgery
c) all patients following heart or lung transplant
e) all patients with significant pulmonary embolus 
f) all patients who have had a coronary stent deployed following myocardial infarction (heart attack) and who require ongoing support for their heart and/or lung function.
g) all patients who require ECMO support for respiratory or cardiac failure
h) some patients following major thoracic aortic interventions

All patients should be discussed with the Duty Intensive Care consultant.
 
For information about Auckland City Hospital including a street map, parking availability, pharmacy and where to get refreshments, please click here.

Referral Expectations

What to expect in CVICU and CVHDU 

Much of the value of the CVICU and CVHDU comes from the careful monitoring of the progress of a disease and the body's response to complex treatments. This allows timely adjustment of such treatments. In order to achieve this, many investigations and monitoring processes will occur. It may be necessary at times to perform complex procedures, which may be time-consuming and require the area to be closed to visitors. 

Besides blood tests, monitoring of other body functions is also commonplace. Heart rate, arterial blood pressure, central venous pressure, oxygen saturation and urine output monitoring are routine. Specific conditions may require other investigations such as endoscopic procedures, CT scanning and MRI scanning. The changes are monitored and therapy adjusted as a result of the analysis of the recorded observations.

The Department is staffed by a team of highly experienced and professional doctors and nurses who are supported by other healthcare professionals. Medical care is provided by specialist doctors trained to look after very ill patients (Intensivists), and doctors training to be specialists in intensive care, anaesthesia, cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery.

Most nurses in intensive care are also specialised with post-graduate training and qualifications in intensive care. Patients requiring intensive care treatment have a nurse allocated to look after them individually. High dependency patients may be cared for by a nurse responsible for two patients.

 In addition to the doctors and nurses, patients in CVICU are cared for by a multidisciplinary team that includes physiotherapists, dietitians, pharmacists, psychologists, speech-language therapists, radiographers, biomedical technicians, social workers, Kaiatawhai and other healthcare professionals.

Procedures / Treatments

Blood tests
Cardiovascular problems
Respiratory problems
Nasogastric tube
Kidney problems
Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG)
Heart valve surgery
Congenital cardiac surgery
Heart or lung transplant surgery
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy (ECMO)
Lung resection surgery
Pneumonectomy
Decortication

Visiting Hours

Cardiothoracic and Vascular Intensive Care Unit

  • Visiting allowed between the hours of 09:00-19:00 & 21:00-23:00,
    Overnight visiting by arrangement. 


Cardiothoracic and Vascular High Dependency Unit 

  • ยท     Visiting allowed between the hours of 09:00-19:00 & 21:00-23:00
     Overnight visiting by arrangement. 


    Maximum of TWO visitors per patient allowed. 

    Visiting outside of these hours or over and above the number of allowed visitors can be permitted by prior arrangement with the Shift Coordinator/Charge Nurse.

https://www.healthpoint.co.nz/public/intensive-care/cardiothoracic-and-vascular-intensive-care/