1 / 11

Essential Guide to Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs)

Learn about VADs, their types, use, medications, components, and patient care in Nashville. Discover resources and key tips for managing VAD patients effectively.

evangelia
Download Presentation

Essential Guide to Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs)

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Top Ten things you need to know… About VAD’s Kim Byrum Chappell Mechanical Assist Coordinator

  2. #1: VAD stands for: • Ventricular • Assist • Device

  3. #2: Why are they used? • End stage Heart Failure • BTT (Bridge to Transplant) – Vanderbilt • Under the watchful eye of the Transplant Coordinators • DT (Destination Therapy) – St. Thomas. These patients will live with this device until death. They are not transplant candidates.

  4. #3: Types of VAD’s • Pulsatile • Continuous Flow • Axial Flow • Centrifugal Flow

  5. #4: VAD’s in the Nashville Community • Currently 8 patients are followed by Vanderbilt • St Thomas also implants VAD’s and those patients could show up at our doorstep • The current VAD you would encounter in the ER is CONTINUOUS FLOW VAD called the Heart Mate II (HMII) made by Thoratec, Inc. (Axial Flow)

  6. #5: Continuous Flow = No Pulsatility • Will most likely not be able to palpate peripheral pulses • Most likely unable to obtain SBP/DBP • Most reliable/accurate measurement is by Doppler • Document under Manual MAP

  7. #6: Medications • VAD patients will be on anticoagulants – • Coumadin • Aspirin • Rare – Persantine, Plavix, • More rare/rumor – Dabigatran: there has been discussion around this Afib approved drug but it has not been used here…..no antidote.

  8. #7: Components • Pump – inside the patient (sounds like humming) • Driveline – white tube; exits somewhere in the abdominal area • System Controller – the brains • Battery or Power Base Unit – the power

  9. #8: Patients know their “stuff” • Will bring a back up system controller & batteries in case of a failure; typically in a black bag. Must remain with patient at all times, for all tests/procedures, transport, etc. • Do not unplug cables to silence any alarm. • Do not unplug both power cables at the same time.

  10. #9. Resources • VAD pager #835-9109 • Thoratec supplied items: • Clinical Operations and Patient Management book • HMII Information and Emergency Assistance Guide pamphlet • HMII LVAD Pocket Guide to alarms for Clinicians • Outpatient Emergency Response Program CD • Thoratec eUniversity @ Thoratec.com

  11. #10: Remember….. • If they are speaking to you, if they are warm, pink & with brisk capillary refill they are perfusing. • It’s a patient with a pump, not a pump with a patient – so treat the patient. • Can auscultate the pump • Floors trained in VAD patients: 5N & 7N • You can’t always tell a VAD patient at first glance

More Related