Bridging cardiogenic shock patients with short-term ventricular support at a community hospital to long-term ventricular support at a tertiary hospital.

Background: Patients in cardiogenic shock require immediate circulatory support. Outcomes of patients who underwent short-term ventricular assist device (STVAD) implantation in a community hospital (CH) as a bridge to a long-term VAD (LTVAD) were compared with those who received both implants at the same tertiary hospital (TH).

Methods: Data were retrospectively reviewed for patients with a STVAD who were bridged to a LTVAD in a TH from 1997 to 2010.

Ventricular assist device support as a bridge to heart transplantation in patients with giant cell myocarditis.

Aims: Giant cell myocarditis (GCM) carries a poor prognosis and many patients require end-stage therapies. This study sought to determine the outcome of patients bridged with ventricular assist devices (VAD) to orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT).

Methods And Results: A retrospective data collection of all patients with GCM was performed.