Continuous‐flow left ventricular assist devices: Management in the emergency department

• Authors: Maxwell A. Hockstein, Emory University
• Journal Title: JACEP
• Volume: Volume 1, Number 4
• Publisher: American College of Emergency Physicians | 2020-07-11, Pages 362-370
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12178
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery
• Keywords: left ventricular assist device; LVAD; mechanical circulatory support

Abstract

With an increasing number of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) being placed every year, emergency clinicians are increasingly likely to encounter them in their practice. Patients may present to the emergency department (ED) with significant hemodynamic perturbations with an LVAD and it is imperative that emergency clinicians are able to assess and treat conditions contributing to low cardiac output states. This review describes the important aspects of the third generation of LVADs and their complications as well as common management approaches for the emergency physician.