Gaylord Hospital, a 137-bed specialty hospital in Wallingford, last week announced the opening of a new unit in its facility to treat the most complex and medically fragile stroke victims.
The 24-bed unit, which opened in July, is housed within existing hospital space and all rooms are private. It was recently outfitted with a $125,000 telemetry system monitored 24/7 by at least two telemetry technicians. Five were hired for the system.
Telemetry measures and records heart rate, electrical activity of the heart, breathing rate and oxygen level in the blood as the patient moves, takes medication or rests, allowing clinicians to effectively evaluate patients, according to information provided by Gaylord. It cited a Loyola University of Chicago School of Medicine study showing that 17 percent of stroke patients placed on telemetry developed new cardiac arrhythmias and that almost half of the cardiac arrhythmias were atrial fibrillation – a leading indicator of a possible second, deadly stroke.
Patients who develop a need for telemetry monitoring after admission won’t have to return to an acute-care hospital or be transferred between units at Gaylord, the hospital said, adding that studies show fewer transfers result in better patient care and clinical outcomes, faster recovery and more cost-effective treatment.
