Utilizing Technology for Optimization of Pain Management and Mobilization in High Risk Cardiac Surgical ICU Patients

Early mobilization of patients, minimizing sedatives, maximizing pain control, optimizing sleep are strongly associated with decreased rates of delirium, decreased ICU length of stay, decreased hospital length of stay as well as improved functional status and quality of life at 1 year. Cardiac surgical patients that are at high risk of prolonged stay in the ICU due to the inherent nature of their disease (ie need for MCS (mechanical circulatory support) or lung transplantation) are most likely to benefit from a systematic aggressive approach to early mobilization. Technology such as activity trackers and virtual reality have been studied in general surgical populations but with limited data in the ICU and to date no studies in a cardiac surgical population. Activity trackers utilized in a multidisciplinary team to provide objective data to care teams and patients can be used to develop goal setting and patient motivation for teams, thereby improving mobility

Overall Goal: To evaluate whether quantitative information on post procedural ambulation in mechanical device patients, cardiac surgical patients and lung transplant patients can improve care teams ability to monitor and identify patients at high risk for complications and prolonged length of stay.

• The purpose of the research is to improve mobility in the perioperative period using Activity Trackers to augment current practice.
• Objective quantification and improvement in activity of post cardiac surgery patients might result in improved clinical outcomes, thereby making this tool a part of routine practice.

Patient Populations:

1. Lung transplant patients
2. Routine postoperative Cardiac surgical patients (elective cardiac surgical procedures including CABG and Valve replacement)
3. Device Patients (axillary patients pre-open heart transplantation (OHT). Post MCS patients)