Acute Cardiac Triage Unit

The Acute Cardiac Triage Unit (ACTU) is an inpatient and outpatient area designed to provide care provision to cardiology and cardiac surgery patients. The goal of the unit is to assess, treat and educate patients to reduce readmissions to hospital and emergency department visits.

What to expect

When your physician refers you to the ACTU, a member of our staff will contact you to book an appointment.

During the appointment, the nurse will review your medical history and your current medications with you. They will ask you about your symptoms and perform a physical exam.

Our clinic staff are pleased to offer a variety of interventions.

As part of the clinical assessment, we may arrange a variety of tests, including blood tests, an electrocardiogram (ECG), and a chest X-ray. Assessments and interventions in the ACTU require variable amounts of time. We will advise you about the expected length of your visit and how many total visits we expect you may require.

Patient instructions

• Please bring to your appointment a complete pharmacy list of all prescribed or over-the-counter medications or supplements you are taking.
• Please bring any information related to your health, including your weight recordings and any recent changes your cardiology team may have made to your water pills.
• If you record your weight at the same time each day, please do so prior to the appointment as well.
• Please discuss with the nurse changes to your daily medication dosing and any related treatment you are receiving or have received.
• Ensure you have access to a copy of your After Visit Summary in MyChart. We can also print a copy to issue to you.

Referrals

• Heart Institute cardiologists and cardiac surgeons must refer patients to the Acute Cardiac Triage Unit.

Patient resources

• Coming for a clinic appointment