Evaluation of anticoagulation and nonsurgical major bleeding in recipients of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices.

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement has become a standard of care in advanced heart failure treatment. Bleeding is the most frequently reported adverse event after LVAD implantation and may be increased by antithrombotic agents used for prevention of pump thrombosis. This retrospective cohort included 85 adult patients implanted with a Heartmate II LVAD.

Impact of time in therapeutic range after left ventricular assist device placement: a comparison between thrombus and thrombus-free periods.

The association between time in therapeutic range (TTR) and clinical outcomes in patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) on chronic warfarin therapy is not well understood. This study assessed TTR using the Rosendaal Method prior to suspected or confirmed pump thrombosis or ischemic stroke. Each patient served as their own control.

Assessment of Bleeding and Thrombosis Based on Aspirin Responsiveness after Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Placement.

Pump thrombosis (PT) is a severe complication of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support. This study evaluated PT and bleeding after LVAD placement in patients responsive to a standard aspirin dose of 81 mg using platelet inhibition monitoring compared with initial nonresponders who were then titrated upward to achieve therapeutic response. Patients ≥ 18 years of age with initial placement of HeartMate II LVAD at our institution and at least one VerifyNow Aspirin test performed during initial hospitalization were included.

Higher Maximum Doses and Infusion Rates Compared with Standard Unfractionated Heparin Therapy Are Associated with Adequate Anticoagulation without Increased Bleeding in Both Obese and Nonobese Patients with Cardiovascular Indications.

Study Objective: To evaluate the time to achieve therapeutic activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) values and occurrence of bleeding based on standard unfractionated heparin (UFH) weight-based dosing recommendations compared with an aggressive weight-based UFH dosing strategy using higher maximum doses and infusion rates in both obese and nonobese patients who presented with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction or unstable angina (NSTEMI/UA) or atrial fibrillation.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Academic medical center.

High-Dose Sedation and Analgesia During Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Focus on the Adjunctive Use of Ketamine.

Use of ketamine in patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has rarely been reported, and the optimal dosing strategy remains unclear. A patient admitted with hypoxic respiratory failure required ECMO in addition to continuous infusion of low-dose ketamine following titration of opioid and sedative medications to high doses. After initiation of ketamine, infusion rates of opioids and/or sedatives were maintained or decreased.

Potentially inappropriate medication use is associated with clinical outcomes in critically ill elderly patients with neurological injury.

Background: Limited data suggest that potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) impact outcomes in critically ill elderly patients. No data are available on the association between PIM use as well as drug burden index (DBI), which is a measure of PIM use, and clinical outcomes in neurocritical care elderly patients. This study evaluates whether PIM use and a higher DBI are associated with poor clinical outcomes in neurocritical care elderly patients.