NURS 287 Lecture Notes - Coronary Artery Disease, Aortic Dissection, Heart Transplantation
28 Apr 2013
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Document Summary
Circulatory assist devices (cads) decrease cardiac work and improve organ perfusion when conventional drug therapy is no longer adequate. The intraaortic balloon pump (iabp) provides temporary circulatory assistance to the compromised heart by reducing afterload (via reduction in systolic pressure) and augmenting the aortic diastolic pressure resulting in improved coronary blood flow and perfusion of vital organs. The iabp consists of a sausage-shaped balloon, a pump that inflates and deflates the balloon, control panel for synchronizing the balloon inflation to the cardiac cycle, and fail-safe features. Iabp therapy is referred to as counterpulsation because the timing of balloon inflation is opposite to ventricular contraction. The iapb assist ratio is 1:1 in the acute phase of treatment, that is, one iabp cycle of inflation and deflation for every heartbeat. The patient is relatively immobile, limited to side-lying or supine positions with the head of the bed elevated less than 45 degrees.
