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Updated: Mar 26, 2026

The Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump
Published on: February 5, 2021
Blood pressure management in mechanical circulatory support
Mosi K Bennett1, Sirtaz Adatya1
11 Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA ; 2 Department of Medicine, Cardiology Division, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Abstract:
Durable mechanical support has become widely available for end stage heart failure as destination therapy and as bridge to transplantation. The accurate measurement of blood pressure (BP) as well as the recognition and management of hypertension in patients with continuous flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-VADs) is an essential component of optimal clinical care. Strategies for the control of BP in CF-VAD patients are increasingly important as there is an evolving understanding of the connection between hypertension, pump output, and adverse outcomes. As clinical experience grows, optimal BP targets, as well as methods to measure BP in CF-VAD patients have been further defined.
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