Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Improved microcirculation in patients with an acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with the Impella LP2.5 percutaneous left ventricular assist device.
Circulatory support during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST-element elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) aims at maintaining hemodynamic stability and organ perfusion. However, continuous flow pumps may interfere with the normal pulsatile circulation and the microcirculatory function. Sidestream dark field (SDF) imaging allows the visualization of microvascular structure and function of tissue and may provide information regarding the efficacy of the circulatory support. ⋯ Microcirculation assessed by SDF improved in STEMI patients treated with the Impella LP2.5 to levels observed in healthy persons and remained suboptimal after 72 h in patients without support. Sublingual SDF to assess MC may serve as a monitor of effective myocardial recovery after PCI and optimization of organ perfusion.