Bedside insertion of intra-aortic balloon pump feasible and safe without transfer to cath lab

Italy: A recent study in the journal Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions has found performing intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) insertions in the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) to be feasible without transferring patients to the catheterization laboratory. This could be of relevant interest in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF)-related cardiogenic shock (CS) who may not require coronary angiography or other urgent CathLab procedures.

In contemporary Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), bedsite insertion of an intra-aortic balloon pump under echocardiographic guidance may be an attractive option for selected patients with cardiogenic shock. However, not much data is currently available on this approach. 

Considering the above, Luca Baldetti, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy, and colleagues aimed to assess the safety and feasibility of bedside IABP insertion versus fluoroscopic-guided insertion in the Catheterization Laboratory (CathLab). The researchers also described the clinical features of patients receiving bedside IABP insertion using a standardized technique in real-world CICU practice.