Simultaneous ramp right heart catheterization and echocardiography in a ReliantHeart left ventricular assist device.

Many clinicians caring for patients with continuous flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVAD) use ramp right heart catheterization (RHC) studies to optimize pump speed and also to troubleshoot CF-LVAD malfunction. An investigational device, the ReliantHeart Heart Assist 5 (Houston, TX), provides the added benefit of an ultrasonic flow probe on the outflow graft that directly measures flow through the CF-LVAD. We performed a simultaneous ramp RHC and echocardiogram on a patient who received the above CF-LVAD to optimize pump parameters and investigate elevated flow through the CF-LVAD as measured by the flow probe.

Clinical variability within the INTERMACS 1 profile: implications for treatment options.

Purpose Of Review: The Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) I classification encompasses patients with varying clinical presentations and prognoses. The purpose of this review is to discuss four sub-classifications of cardiogenic shock patients (acute myocardial infarction, acute decompensated heart failure, biventricular failure, and myocarditis), and explore management considerations for these groups, with particular emphasis on strategies for device placement.

Recent Findings: In single-center studies, the use of intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation, percutaneous ventricular assist devices, and extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has allowed approximately half of cardiogenic shock patients to receive an implantable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or heart transplant, or experience myocardial recovery.