Discharge Planning

Cardiologist On-Call (Urgent question/concerns/after-hours calls)

• 202-476-5000 (Ask for the cardiologist on call)

Cardiac surgery (CVS) nurse practitioners: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

• 202-476-3783 

Cardiac surgery office/appointment line

• 202-476- 2811

Cardiology office 

• 202-476-2020 

Cardiology nurses (Non-urgent questions/concerns) 

• 202- 476- 4809

Cardiology appointment line

• 202- 476- 2090 

Prescription refills

• 202-476-2929 
• For refills, call the prescription phone line and leave the following information: Your child’s name, cardiologist’s name, medication to be refilled, the dose, how often it is taken and the name and telephone number of your pharmacy.

Cardiac surgery follow-up (with the cardiac surgery nurse practitioner)

• Seven to ten days after discharge (Your child will have bloodwork, an EKG and an X-ray as part of the postoperative evaluation)

Pediatric follow-up (with the pediatrician) 

• Two weeks after discharge 

Cardiology follow-up (with the cardiologist)

• Two to four weeks after discharge

Insurance

If your insurance requires a referral from your primary care provider, you must have the referral at the time of your appointment for your child to be seen by the cardiologist or surgeon.

Medication Teaching:

• What are my child’s medications called and what are they for
• Dosing of the medication and how to give it (mouth, feeding tube, etc.)
• How to prepare the medication (syringe, crushed, pills)
• Demonstrate how to draw up liquid medications 
• Side effects, restrictions, food interactions 
• Which medications need to be refrigerated 
• Medication schedule

Safety:

• CPR videos and demonstration (with RN)
• Activity restrictions/movement precautions 
• Completed the 90-minute car seat test (if newborn)

Bath/Wound:

• What kind of shower/bath can my child have? 
• Wound care and symptoms of infection 

Nutrition (Formula/Diet):

• What formula is my child on, and recipes (with nutrition)?
• Fortifying breast milk 
• Diet teaching (with nutrition)

Feeding Tubes:

• How to give medications/flushes through the feeding tube
• How to check pH (nasogastric (NG) tubes)
• How to program the rate (how fast the feed runs) & “volume to be infused” (how much feed is given)
• How to clean the feeding tube site and apply a dressing and/or grip-lock
• What to do if the tube falls out/replacing the tube

Central Lines:

• Dressing/cap changes
• Supplies/equipment 

Day of Discharge:

• What symptoms to be concerned about and whom to call if any questions
• Copy of your child’s discharge paperwork and follow–up appointments
• Have all meds/home equipment in hand (syringes, feeding pump, G-tube supplies, etc.)
• For follow up appointments: bring all medications bottles and insurance information 
• Take home breast milk from hospital