Cardiac Services
Coronary Care Unit
 The coronary care unit (CCU) is a dedicated cardiac intensive care unit designed to treat patients with acute myocardial infarction and other acute cardiac conditions. The Miriam Hospital is proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates for acute MI of any hospital in the nation.
The unit supports cardiac patients who require the use of specialized equipment and the constant care of highly skilled critical care nurses and other health care professionals. In addition, the CCU is staffed with senior medical residents and cardiology fellows from the Brown University medical residency and cardiology fellowship programs who provide round-the-clock care and are in constant contact with the patient’s attending cardiologist as well as other subspecialists.
The unit consists of nine private rooms designed to meet the needs of the special patient population we serve. All patients are placed on a cardiac monitor upon admission to the CCU. Each patient’s EKG, blood pressure, respiratory status and oxygen level can be observed at the patient's bedside, and on the central monitors located at the nurses’ station and hallway units. Some patients may require additional monitoring through the use of specialized lines called pulmonary artery catheters. Some patients may also be connected by a tube to a ventilator, or breathing machine, to assist with breathing. These technologies are monitored continuously through our central monitoring system, with the nurses and physicians using the information to provide the highest level of care to our patients.
The nurses, physicians and respiratory therapists in the CCU work together as a team to provide expert care to all patients. In addition, spiritual care, social work, dietary and case management professionals work with the CCU team to provide holistic, comprehensive care to all patients and their families throughout hospitalization.
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