Mechanical Circulatory Support: a Look Back and a Look Ahead

AbstractPurpose of reviewHeart failure is a growing problem across the world. Although many advances have been made in heart failure therapy, patients with cardiogenic shock still have a grim prognosis. The aim of this article is to discuss the current state of mechanical circulatory support and future directions.Recent findingsMechanical support can be classified as temporary or durable. Temporary support ranges from the intra-aortic balloon pump to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Durable support consists of left ventricular assist devices that are long-term and can be used as a bridge to transplant or destination therapy. Many advances continue be made in terms of size, thrombogenic potential, and infection risk.SummaryAs the supply of heart transplants is limited, mechanical support options for a growing heart failure population are becoming increasingly important. Deciding when to initiate and selecting the right device are of utmost importance and should be a multidisciplinary approach.
Source: Current Emergency and Hospital Medicine Reports - Category: Emergency Medicine Source Type: research