Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support for Cardiogenic Shock

Cardiogenic shock is a life-threatening presentation of severe heart failure with high morbidity and mortality. Given the modest increased in cardiac output and neutral/negative survival benefits with today's available inotropes (namely, dobutamine and milrinone), the use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) has increased dramatically over the past 2 decades. In this review article, we discuss the physiologic concept, clinical evidence of benefit, and current use and indications/potential complications of the four most commonly used devices for MCS: intra-aortic balloon pump, Impella percutaneous ventricular assist device, TandemHeart, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). We also compare these devices in terms of complexity of implantation and hemodynamic effects.