Artificial organs
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Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has had promising results in life-threatening respiratory failure and postcardiotomy cardiogenic failure. From October 1994 to October 1995, 18 patients received 19 ECMOs at National Taiwan University Hospital for severe cardiogenic shock after cardiac surgery. They included patients receiving cardiac massage or repeated bolus injections of norepinephrine to maintain blood pressure (n = 10), patients who could not be weaned off cardiopulmonary bypass after several attempts despite intraaortic balloon pumping and maximal doses of catecholamine (n = 7), and patients with progressive intractable cardiogenic shock after cardiac surgery. ⋯ The inability to wean off ECMO was caused by multiple organ failure (n = 5), sepsis (n = 2), tube rupture (n = 1), and dysfunction of the ECMO system (n = 1). The major cause of multiple organ failure was hesitation to set up ECMO. Our preliminary results confirmed the effect of ECMO in postoperative cardiogenic shock.
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Clinical Trial
Current status of heart assist and replacement in Taiwan.
The first clinical application of intraaortic balloon pumps (IABP) in Taiwan was in 1976 to treat post-cardiotomy cardiogenic shock. It is now the most commonly used circulatory assist. From 1991 to 1995, 186 patients received IABP support with an overall mortality rate 41.9%. ⋯ From 1991 to 1995, 102 patients underwent heart transplantation. The operative mortality was 3.9%, and the 1 and 5 year actuarial survival rates were 86 +/- 3% and 77 +/- 5%, respectively. To improve the success rate of clinical heart transplantation, organ donation should be encouraged.