Every procedure requires a highly specialized team of professionals, working in unison. Our pediatricians, pediatric cardiologists and intensive care physicians are deployed on our intensive care unit for congenital heart disease 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Specialized pediatric cardiac surgeons and anesthetists are also always available. Our nurses provide the highest level of individual care for each patient, with great dedication and commitment.

Over 600 children and adults are treated on our intensive care unit each year. The parents of children being treated are welcome to visit them at any time.

The unit has 12 beds with artificial ventilation and is part of the organizational unit “Congenital Heart Defects”. Our services cover all forms of interventional and surgical correction of congenital heart defects and include the world’s largest program for mechanical circulatory support in children.

The care team consists of nurses and pediatric nurses. The team also includes a representative for infection control, a representative for device safely and two practice trainers who organize and coordinate the integration of new colleagues. All personnel profit from further training in the team meetings and we have many further in-house training sessions on offer. In addition the DHZB offers continuing education in Pediatric Intensive Care, and members of staff regularly undergo this training.
The ward has flexible visiting hours and offers the children’s parents psychological and pastoral counselling.
The nursing team is also supported by a ward assistant.

Ward H4 belongs to the organizational unit “Congenital Heart Defects” and has 20 beds. Over 40 qualified nurses work on the ward, as well as a ward assistant and a preschool teacher.

Patients with congenital heart defects of all ages and of different nationalities are treated here before and after their operations or heart catheterizations. Further, we care for patients who come to the DHZB for outpatient procedures such as MRI, CT, cardioversion and transesophageal echocardiography or for follow-up care.

The work of the heart catheter laboratories (“cath labs”) at the DHZB focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease in adults and children. On average over 4,000 patients are treated each year in the cath lab, in a double shift system. The nursing team has more than 15 nurses. Two are always on call after 6 pm and at weekends. Their work in the cath lab consists of preparing for and clearing up after procedures and monitoring the patient’s vital signs during the examination. Comprehensive knowledge of the materials involved and several years of nursing experience are prerequisites for the success of cath lab treatment.