The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation
-
J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Dec 2014
Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and cystatin C for the prediction of clinical events in patients with advanced heart failure and after ventricular assist device placement.
Progressive renal dysfunction develops in patients with advanced HF. We evaluated neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and cystatin C compared with established markers of renal function in patients with heart failure (HF) because they might improve prognostic assessment of patients with HF. ⋯ NGAL levels correlate with HF severity and hemodynamic improvement after VAD placement. Our findings suggest a role of this novel biomarker as a marker of severity and prognosis in patients with HF.
-
J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Dec 2014
Effect of pulsatile and nonpulsatile flow on cerebral perfusion in patients with left ventricular assist devices.
Insertion of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is an accepted therapy for advanced heart failure patients. However, the effects on end-organ perfusion, including cerebral autoregulation, are unclear in the presence of reduced pulsatility. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether cerebral autoregulation is impaired in patients with continuous-flow (CF) LVADs. ⋯ Cerebral blood flow in patients with CF-LVADs is comparable to that of healthy controls across a range of blood pressures. Patients with pulsatile devices have greater oscillations in MAP and CBFV. However, dynamic cerebral autoregulation is preserved among subjects with either type of device. Thus, the reduction in pulsatility afforded by CF-LVADs does not impair normal autoregulatory processes.
-
J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Dec 2014
Comparative StudyAwake extracorporeal membrane oxygenation bridging for pulmonary retransplantation provides comparable results to elective retransplantation.
Lung retransplantation became an accepted treatment for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). However, the value of different bridging modalities for these patients is controversial. ⋯ Awake ECMO bridging for retransplantation provides comparable results to elective retransplantation.