HFSA/SAEM/ISHLT Clinical Expert Consensus Document on the Emergency Management of Patients with Ventricular Assist Devices

Published 1 May 2019

Michael M. Givertz, MD; Ersilia M. DeFilippis, MD; Monica Colvin, MD; Chad E. Darling, MD; Tonya Elliott, RN, MSN; Eman Hamad, MD; Brian C. Hiestand, MD; Jennifer L. Martindale, MD; Sean P. Pinney, MD; Keyur B. Shah, MD; Juliane Vierecke, MD; Mark Bonnell, MD

J Heart Lung Transplant. 2019 Jul;38(7):677-98

• Advanced Heart Failure & Transplantation
• Anesthesiology & Critical Care
• Cardiology
• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Consensus Document
• Joint Statement
• Mechanical Circulatory Support
• Nursing & Allied Health
• Publications & Journals
• Standards & Guidelines

Mechanical circulatory support is now widely accepted as a viable long-term treatment option for patients with end-stage heart failure (HF). As the range of indications for the implantation of ventricular assist devices grows, so does the number of patients living in the community with durable support. Because of their underlying disease and comorbidities, in addition to the presence of mechanical support, these patients are at a high risk for medical urgencies and emergencies (Table 1). Thus, it is the responsibility of clinicians to understand the basics of their emergency care.

This consensus document represents a collaborative effort by the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) to educate practicing clinicians about the emergency management of patients with ventricular assist devices. The target audience includes HF specialists and emergency medicine physicians, as well as general cardiologists and community-based providers.

Read at JHLT

Download Figures