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Review article: Ventricular assist devices in the emergency department
Author(s) -
Partyka Christopher,
Taylor Ben
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
emergency medicine australasia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.602
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1742-6723
pISSN - 1742-6731
DOI - 10.1111/1742-6723.12171
Subject(s) - medicine , troubleshooting , intensive care medicine , resuscitation , bridging (networking) , emergency department , ventricular assist device , medical emergency , heart failure , cardiology , surgery , nursing , reliability engineering , computer network , computer science , engineering
Abstract Ventricular assist devices ( VADs ) have become an indispensable tool in the management of end‐stage cardiac failure, both as a means of bridging to cardiac transplantation and as destination therapy for long‐term quality of life improvement. Although the technology continues to advance and these devices continue to be refined, they are still associated with significant complications. This article reviews the basics of VAD function and physiology, as well as the myriad to complications that follow their implantation. This review aims to provide a systematic approach to the troubleshooting, diagnosis and management of both VAD ‐associated complications and the resuscitation of the decompensated VAD patient presenting to the ED .