Lismore Base Hospital - Intensive Care Services
Services include respiratory support including Ventilatory and non-ventilatory support, coronary care and cardiac monitoring, renal support, trauma and general Intensive Care services. Those patients that require a higher level of treatment, such as neurosurgery or cardiothoracic surgery are stabilised at Lismore Base Hospital prior to being transferred to a hospital with the appropriate services. This is usually a major metropolitan hospital in Brisbane or Sydney.
Lismore Base Hospital has a combined Intensive Care/ Coronary Care Unit that has thirteen (13) beds. Patients in the unit can be placed on monitors that show us their heart rate and their blood pressure. We also have machines (called ventilators) that can assist the patient in their breathing. Not all patients who come to our unit need a ventilator to help them breathe.
Patients that require specialised care – e.g. burns, major trauma, brain (neuro) surgery or heart (cardiac) surgery may be admitted briefly into our hospital but will be transferred as soon as possible to a specialised Intensive Care Unit at another hospital. If the patient requires a coronary angiogram they will be transferred to another hospital with those facilities.
Occasionally the beds in the Lismore Intensive Care Unit may be fully occupied. If this situation occurs then the patient will be stabilised and then transferred to another Intensive Care Unit. This transfer maybe within the North Coast Area Health Service.
Children (16 years or younger) who need Intensive Care services may require transfer to a specialised Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at another hospital.
A doctor (Intensive Care Staff Specialist) who has experience in Intensive Care medicine manages the patients in our unit. They are present in the unit daily. When not in the unit they can be reached by telephone. We also have a Resident Medical Officer present in the unit 24 hours a day seven days a week.
Our Unit also has a Nurse Unit Manager who has the responsibility of managing the unit on an overall basis. A senior nurse is in charge of the unit every shift. If a patient needs help with their breathing (on a ventilator) one nurse will look after that patient each shift. If a patient can breathe without the help of a ventilator, one nurse may take care of two patients during their shift.
The unit has the assistance of Allied Health Professionals such as physiotherapists, pharmacists, dieticians, social worker and chaplain through the day.
There is accommodation available onsite at the hospital for those relatives of Intensive Care patients who require it. There is a fee for the use of these rooms. Relatives staying in the hospital accommodation can also use the staff cafeteria. The Nurse in charge of the Unit will be able to assist you with accessing this service.
Address: |
Uralba St, |
Phone |
02 6620 2530 |
Number of Beds |
13 |
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