Catheterization Laboratory

The Catheterization Laboratory (CATHLAB) is a specialized area located in the 3rd floor Medical Tower adjacent to the visitors’ elevator. It was on July 8, 2015, when the unit was separated from the ICU located on the 4th floor wherein the bed capacity was increased from 3 to 6 CCU beds intended for patients with active cardiac condition requiring special care. It is equipped with monitoring, diagnostic, and therapeutic devices of cardiac medical patients, requiring continuous comprehensive and highly technical medical and nursing care administered by a skilled staff trained in handling such cases.

All patients eligible for CATHLAB admission or transfer must primarily have an active cardiac condition limited to the following:

• Patients with chest pain, acute coronary syndrome, and acute myocardial
• Acute decompensated heart failure
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Arrhythmias, stable/unstable that needs close monitoring (e.g. new onset atrial flutter, sustained supraventricular arrhythmia, second degree or complete heart block, symptomatic bradycardia)
• Sudden cardiac death
• Cardiogenic shock
• Adult and pediatric congenital heart disease (decompensated)
• Valvular heart disease with hemodynamic instability
• Aortic dissection
• Hypertensive emergency
• Cardiac tamponade
• Pulmonary embolism (massive or sub massive)
• Post procedure monitoring (percutaneous coronary intervention, peripheral artery intervention, hemodynamic studies, percutaneous mitral commissurotomy, balloon aortic valvotomy, percutaneous closure of ASD or VSD, endomyocardial biopsy, temporary and permanent pacemaker insertion and electrophysiologic studies)
• Post open heart surgery (CABG, valve surgery, congenital heart anomaly repair)