Neurological complications associated with left ventricular assist device therapy.

Neurological complications associated with left ventricular assist device therapy. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2018 Nov 13;:1-9 Authors: Goodwin K, Kluis A, Alexy T, John R, Voeller R Abstract INTRODUCTION: Associated with significant morbidity and mortality, neurological complications in adult patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) approaches a prevalence as high as 25%. As the number of individuals using LVAD support grows, it is increasingly important for providers to understand the hematologic and hemodynamic changes associated with LVAD implantation, the risk factors for neurological complications and their mitigation strategies. Areas covered: PubMed searches were completed using the terms 'Left ventricular assist device and stroke' (994 results) then 'Left ventricular assist device and stroke risk factors' (199 results). Results were filtered by 'humans' (178 results). The manuscript focuses on the risk factors and mitigation strategies for stroke identified in the literature following LVAD implantation and managing this complication. Expert commentary: There is little consensus on how to accurately predict stroke risk in the LVAD population. While some recent large-scale clinical trials identified a limited number of risk factors, further research is warranted to generate reliable predictive models and treatment protocols for these patients. This should include developing novel agents and monitoring techniques t...
Source: Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy - Category: Cardiology Tags: Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther Source Type: research