Patterns of Use of Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support as a Bridge to Transplant During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Since implementation of the new donor heart allocation system in October 2018, the proportion of patients bridged with temporary mechanical circulatory support (MCS) has increased drastically.1 In particular, utilization of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) as a bridge to transplant (BTT) has nearly quadrupled. However, in January 2020, the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID –19) was reported in the United States and has since given rise to an unprecedented pandemic.

Source: Journal of Cardiac Failure - September 9, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Taylor Nordan, Gregory S. Couper, Frederick Y. Chen, Amanda Vest, David DeNofrio, Masashi Kawabori Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research