Cardiogenic shock treated with temporary mechanical circulatory support in Brazil: The effect of learning curve. Issue 3 (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Scolari, Fernando Luís; Trott, Geraldine; Schneider, Daniel; Goldraich, Livia Adams; Frederico Tonietto, Tulio; Moura, Lídia Zytynski; Bertoldi, Eduardo Gehling; Rover, Marciane Maria; Wolf, Jonas Michel; Souza, Denise de; Clausell, Nadine; Polanczyk, Carisi Anne; Rohde, Luis Eduardo; Rosa, Regis Goulart; Wainstein, Rodrigo Vugman
• Is Part Of: International journal of artificial organs. Volume 45:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: 292
• Page End: 300
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: Mechanical circulatory support -- cardiogenic shock -- ECMO -- Impella -- mortality; Artificial organs -- Periodicals; 617.956
• DOI: 10.1177/03913988211070841
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0391-3988

Abstract

Aims: Treatment with mechanical circulatory support (MCS) has been proposed to mitigate mortality in cardiogenic shock (CS). However, there is a lack of data on MCS programs implementation and the effect of the learning curve on its outcomes in limited resources countries such as Brazil. Methods: Prospective cohort of patients with CS admitted in four tertiary-care centers treated with Impella CP or veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). Clinical outcomes were peri-procedural complications, short-term mortality rate, and the centers' learning curve. The cohort was divided into two periods: from April 2017 to July 2018 ( n = 24), and from August 2018 to December 2020 ( n = 25). Results: The study enrolled 49 patients [age 59 (43–63) years; 34 (70%) males]. The most common causes for CS were acute myocardial infarction in 22 (45%) and acute decompensation of chronic heart failure in 10 (20%). VA-ECMO was employed in 35 (71%) and Impella CP in 14 (29%) of patients. Overall complications occurred in 37 (76%) of patients, where major bleeding in 19 (38%) was the most common. The overall mortality rate was 61%, but it was lower in the second period (40%) in comparison to the first period (83%), p = 0.002. The learning curve analysis showed a decrease in the mortality rate after 40 consecutive cases. Conclusions: Implementation of a temporary MCS program for refractory CS in a limited resource country is feasible. The learning curve effect might have played a role on survival rate since high morbimortality has decreased within time reaching optimal results by the end of the study.