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California Health And Safety Code Section 1255.5

Legal Research Home > California Lawyer > Health and Safety Code > California Health And Safety Code Section 1255.5

For purposes of Section 1255, the following definitions
apply:
   (a) "Cardiac catheterization" includes an intravascular insertion
of a catheter into the heart for the primary definition and diagnosis
of an anatomic cardiac lesion.  For the purposes of this definition,
the insertion of a Swan-Ganz thermodilution cardiac output catheter,
a venous line, and a temporary pacemaking electrode catheter are
excluded.
   (b) "Cardiac surgery" means surgery on the heart or great vessels
requiring a thoracotomy and extracorporeal circulation.
   (c)  "Cardiovascular surgery service" means a program of a general
acute care hospital which has the capability of performing cardiac
catheterizations and cardiac surgery as defined in this section.
Under no circumstances shall there exist in a general acute care
hospital a cardiac surgery service without a cardiac catheterization
laboratory service.
   (d) "Cardiac catheterization laboratory service" means a program
of a general acute care hospital which has the capability of
performing cardiac catheterization.  Cardiac catheterization
laboratory service does not include pediatric cardiac catheterization
laboratory service.
   (e) "Pediatric cardiac surgery service" means a program of a
general acute care hospital which has the capability of performing
cardiac catheterization and cardiac surgery, as defined in this
section, for the diagnosis and treatment of congenital defects in
children.  Cardiac catheterization for pediatric patients shall be
performed only in a general acute care hospital that has the
capability to perform cardiac surgery on pediatric patients.
   (f) "Intensive care newborn nursery services" means the provision
of comprehensive and intensive care for all contingencies of the
newborn infant, including intensive, intermediate, and continuing
care.  Policies, procedures, and space requirements for intensive,
intermediate, and continuing care services shall be based upon the
standards and recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Guidelines for Perinatal Care, 1983.

Last modified: January 12, 2009