Toronto General Hospital |
Maps & Directions
Eaton Building - 2nd Floor
CICU Directions
Phone: 416 340 4066
UHN hospitals offer flexible visiting hours.
However, the CICU is closed to visitors for 2 hours each day: from 7:00am - 8:00am and from 7:00pm - 8:00pm.
We know that being with your loved one is very important. Our CICU staff will do our very best to accommodate your visits into the unit.
When you arrive at the hospital, go to the 2nd floor waiting room and call into the unit at extension 4066. The unit clerk will check with the nurse to be sure that it is a good time to visit. No visiting after 9:00 pm please, except in special cases. The unit and patient rooms have limited space, so for safety reasons we only allow 2 visitors at a time. Although young children can visit, an adult must be with them at all times.
You can bring cards or small gifts for loved ones. If you would like to bring flowers, please ask the nurses first to be sure that it is ok.
We encourage you to bring toiletries in for your loved one, such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, razor and shaving cream. Please leave valuables at home. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items. Read more about
what to bring patients.
Cell phones are not allowed in patient rooms while visiting in the CICU, because cell phones can interfere with the performance of heart monitors. If you must use your cell phone, please only use it in the hallway or outside the unit. This rule also helps to keep the noise down, so patients get the rest they need. There are payphones in the hallway next to the waiting room. If the patient needs a phone in their room please ask the nurse for assistance. To make a call into a patient room please call the main desk first and ask for your family member by name.
Sometimes infections and illness can spread in the hospital by germs we carry on our hands.
Hand sanitizer gel is available on the unit. Visitors should use it each time they enter and leave, as well as before and after touching their loved one. At times isolation precautions may be used when entering a patient's room to prevent the spread of a particular infection. All visitors should adhere to these isolation precautions. There will be a signs explaining the precautions visitors should take such as wearing a mask or gown.
Please do not visit the CICU if you are feeling sick or have a cough, fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, unexplained rash or anything you think is a cold or flu.
Learn more about
visiting patients at UHN.
You can find services throughout UHN. Learn more about
patient and family services available at UHN.
In the Coronary Intensive Care Unit (CICU) a team of health care professionals will care for your loved one and help prepare for discharge, or for transfer to the cardiology ward.
When loved ones are seriously ill, we know this experience is stressful for the entire family. You can help us by telling us what you need. Family members need to take care of themselves by eating properly, getting enough sleep and taking time away from the hospital when needed. While away, your loved one will never be alone in the CICU.
We believe that patients and families should have access to information and be involved in our patient's plan of care. You are invited to attend the daily rounding process in CICU, where you'll have the opportunity to listen and understand your loved one's progress, ask questions, and share your perspective.
During the Patient's Stay
In order to allow our team to spend more time caring for your loved one, we ask that you choose one (1) person to act as a spokesperson or contact person for your family. This person should be the one who will phone the CICU for updates and share this information with all the other family members and friends. CICU staff will call this person if they need to talk to about your loved one's condition or care.
While the spokesperson can speak to the medical staff at any time, we will also arrange family meetings, as necessary. These meetings will be held in the CICU at a time when everyone can join in. Family meetings provide a chance for the members of the health care team and the family to meet and talk about the patient's progress.
Treatment
The unit may seem busy with alarms sounding and machines at each bedside. All of our patients are attached to heart monitors so our staff can closely watch their status.
An intravenous line is frequently used in CICU to give medicine, measure pressures and collect blood. Sometimes patients need more than one intravenous (IV) line.
Often patients need oxygen in the CICU, which can be given through a mask, with small tubes in the nostrils, or from a breathing machine.
Early mobility, including moving, stretching and exercising, is important for cardiac patients in the CICU. Our nurses can show you how to help your loved one get moving.
Monitoring the Patient's Health
Our health care team will see your loved one every day. We will talk with them about how they are doing and answer any questions they may have. If you want to speak with a member of our health care team at any other time, ask the nurse looking after your loved one.
How Long Will the Patient's Stay Be?
The length of your loved one's stay will be based on the health care team's assessment of their condition. Soon after they arrive on the unit, we will discuss with how long they will be staying. This may be reassessed every day when the doctors complete their rounds.
Preparing for Discharge
We will work with your family to start planning early for your loved one's discharge, to help you all make a safe and successful transition.
At the end of your loved one's CICU stay, we will let you know if they should be transferred to the cardiology ward for further recovery or if they can be discharged from our unit. If they are going home we will offer discharge instructions and a prescription for any medications they require.
If you have any questions about your loved one's discharge or care needs before they leave the hospital, please ask a member of our team. We are here to help you.
Throughout our hospital, you and your family and other visitors can find a range of amenities to make your stay more enjoyable and comfortable. Learn more about
amenities at UHN hospital.
Though these are always changing, UHN keeps a list of local hotels, bed and breakfasts and short- term rentals in the area. Some provide a discount or hospital rates. Please let the staff know if you need a copy of
accommodations.
It is important to wash your hands well and often while you are in the hospital. Washing your hands will reduce the chances that you will become sick or get an infection.
You can learn more about
infection control at UHN.
