Best Chairs for Coronary Care Units (CCU)

A coronary care unit looks after patients with serious heart conditions such as heart attacks, acute angina and heart failure, and patients who are recovering from heart surgery. These patients are closely monitored, often with lines and drains, and teams need to be able to respond quickly, which chairs in these wards need to facilitate.

Jump straight to…

• • What is a coronary care unit?
  • From bed rest to early mobilisation
  • Seating that helps cardiac patients mobilise
  • Conclusion
  • FAQs

What is a coronary care unit?

A coronary care unit (CCU) or cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) is an intensive care ward for patients with serious, life-threatening heart conditions such as cardiac arrest, heart failure or serious arrhythmias. Patients are monitored closely around the clock so changes can be spotted and acted on quickly. Once stable, patients move to the hospital’s cardiology ward to recuperate before being discharged.

From bed rest to early mobilisation

Today we hear a lot about deconditioning and the harm done by prolonged bed rest, so it’s easy to assume this is a recent idea, but it actually began in the 1950s.

At that time, strict bed rest was the standard treatment after a heart attack, on the belief that rest helped heal the damaged heart. Dr Samuel Levine, a Boston cardiologist, began sitting patients out in an armchair instead, arguing that patients should sit in an appropriate chair, with their feet down for as much of the day as possible.

The idea was slow to gain traction, but the seating approach gradually spread, and early mobilisation is now the norm after heart attacks and cardiac surgery.

Why bed rest does harm

We now understand the cost of spending long periods in bed much better. Muscle strength starts to fail and patients lose motivation and confidence, leading to the problems of pyjama paralysis and deconditioning which are well documented.

More recent research points the same way. For patients with heart disease, seating interventions and early ambulation are associated with a lower risk of death than prolonged bed rest.

Doctor with nurse making round of hospital ward with sick elderly woman lying on bed. Bedside consultation

Seating that helps cardiac patients mobilise

Levine’s request for an “appropriate chair” would give a much wider choice today.

In the initial days after treatment when patients may still have lines attached, the Carer Pro Lie-Flat Chair is designed for critical care and high-dependency settings.

• The true lay-flat position can be converted into a range of seating positions with a footplate to improve sitting tolerance.
• As time progresses, patient can use the entry/exit preset mode to transfer with a Sara Stedy or other standaid, making the chair a rehabilitation device that can mobilise the patient at their desired pace.
• The one-pull CPR release returns it to flat in seconds if a patient deteriorates.
• Drop down wings and sides allow for transfers with lines still in place, and the IV pole and oxygen holder mean equipment stays with the patient at all times.

Patients who are mobilising might need high pressure relief and a rise function that makes getting in and out of the chair easier. The Lento Mobile Riser Recliner is a hybrid chair that combines high comfort and pressure relief with vertical rise and portability, to help the patient mobilise.

Cardiothoracic surgery recovery

Cardiothoracic surgery is usually performed for a heart bypass surgery where the surgeon needs to access the chest cavity to operate on the heart.

This can involve a sternotomy, which is cutting through the sternum (breastbone) to open up the ribcage and access the heart. The sternum is closed with wires and knits together again after the operation.

While the sternum heals there are limits to how much the patient can lift and push and pull with their arms, so using sideways transfers on the Lento Mobile or Carer Pro is preferable to pushing on armrests or pulling with standing transfers.

Patients may also need to carry out breathing exercises as part of the sternotomy recovery, which chairs like the Lento Mobile accommodate well with a comfortable and angle adjustable backrest.

Conclusion

In a coronary care unit, seating is an integral part of patient safety for patients recovering from critical heart problems. The right chair lets staff move a monitored patient out of bed with minimal handling, and help them gradually mobilise, as well as returning them to lie-flat position in an emergency.