Catheters: cardiac, 270 urinary

Monitoring the patient in shock requires vigilance on the part of the nurse The patient s heart rate, blood pressure, and ECG are monitored continuously. The urinary output is measured often (usually hourly), and an accurate intake and output is taken. Monitoring of central venous pressure via a central venous catheter will provide an estimation of the patient s fluid status. Sometimes additional hemodynamic monitoring is necessary with a pulmonary artery catheter. The use of a pulmonary artery catheter allows the nurse to monitor a number of parameters, such as cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance The nurse adjusts therapy according to the primary health care provider s instructions. 

Antimicrobial properties of silver have been known and utilized for centuries. It is well established that only silver ions are antimicro-bially active, while elemental silver is not. Many biomedical devices have been coated with silver and/or silver compounds for antimicrobial purposes. The applications of surfaces treated with silver or its compounds include devices such as topical wound dressings, urinary catheters, endotracheal tubes, cardiac valves, etc.72 Electroless deposition of silver or its compounds can quite successfully be used for coating of biomedical devices. 

Infections are the major cause of morbidity and mortality during the first year following kidney transplantation 80% of grafted patients experience at least one infectious episode. The risk of infection is associated, in particular, with the cumulative dose of immunosuppression, nosocomial environmental factors (water, operating room, air conditioning), the presence of foreign materials (central and urinary catheters), and the patient s nutritional and metabolic status (diabetes, renal insufficiency, cardiac insufficiency). 

---