Chest Compressions Are Feasible in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) who require resuscitation present unique challenges that have led some systems to develop protocols that recommend against performing chest compressions. Researchers retrospectively analyzed outcomes of all eight LVAD-supported patients who received chest compressions (time range, <1 minute to 2.5 hours) for cardiac arrest over a 4-year period at a single referral center. Half of the patients achieved return of neurologic function and none experienced cannula dislodgment.