Description: Ventricular Assist Devices are becoming more common with the increase in Heart Failure patients and not as many available heart transplants as are demanded.    Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) are giving heart failure patients a few options.   We discuss Bridge to Transplant, Bridge to Destination, etc. as well as how to manage a patient with a VAD.    Brands of VADs, which ones you are most likely to be working with, what the alarms and buttons on the controllers mean, how your assessment changes, etc.

Objectives:

• Name the two brands of VAD’s that are FDA approved for both BTD and BTT
• Differentiate between Bridge to Transplant and Bridge to Destination.
• List at least two things that will change about how you assess a VAD patient.
• List at least two things to assess for to confirm adequate perfusion.