Publications by authors named "Margaret Blood"
Article Synopsis
- Vascular complications (VCs) after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can lead to higher mortality rates, but late VCs occurring after hospital discharge have been less studied.
- In a review of 229 ECMO patients over two years, only 116 survived until discharge, and among them, 7.8% experienced late VCs with a median onset of 150 days post-discharge.
- The most common late VC was infection, with a significant number requiring urgent interventions, including lower extremity arterial revascularization or amputations, and the majority of these complications were associated with patients who had been treated with peripheral veno-arterial ECMO.
Background: This study was conducted to determine the effect of a disease-management model termed an "intensive surveillance protocol" (ISP) on survival in ventricular assist device (VAD) patients. This intervention consisted of a formalized, protocol-driven, multi-disciplinary team approach to VAD patient follow-up initiated August 1, 2006. The goal was to attain an internal program benchmark of 70% survival at 2 years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContinuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) have emerged as the standard of care for advanced heart failure patients requiring long-term mechanical circulatory support. Evidence-based clinical management of LVAD-supported patients is becoming increasingly important for optimizing outcomes. In this state-of-art review, we propose key elements in managing patients supported with the new continuous-flow LVADs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFManagement of mild to moderate aortic insufficiency in patients with a left ventricular assist device remains controversial. We report 3 patients with aortic insufficiency and pulsatile left ventricular assist devices treated with a central aortic valve coapting suture. Two of the repairs have been durable for more than 1 year and aspirin appears to be sufficient anticoagulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis article reviews infections that occur in patients with implanted mechanical circulatory support devices and presents recent data for signs of progress in controlling the incidence and impact of these infections. Two types of comparisons are used to examine this question. First, the outcomes of patients with HeartMate vented electric left ventricular assist devices (VADs) (Thoratec Corp, Pleasanton, CA) implanted during the REMATCH Trial are compared with the outcome of more recent patients who received this pump as destination therapy.
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