ABSTRACT
This article is one of ten reviews selected from the Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2021. Other selected articles can be found online at https://www.biomedcentral.com/collections/annualupdate2021 . Further information about the Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine is available from https://link.springer.com/bookseries/8901 .
Subject(s)
Aorta/physiopathology , Counterpulsation/standards , Shock, Cardiogenic/surgery , Cardiac Surgical Procedures/methods , Cardiac Surgical Procedures/standards , Cardiac Surgical Procedures/statistics & numerical data , Counterpulsation/methods , Counterpulsation/statistics & numerical data , HumansABSTRACT
A growing pool of evidence has shown that enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is a non-invasive, safe, low-cost, and highly beneficial therapy for patients with coronary artery disease. However, the exact mechanisms of benefit exerted by EECP therapy remain only partially understood. The favorable hemodynamic effects of EECP were previously considered as the primary mechanism of action. Nevertheless, recent advances have shed light on the shear stress-increasing effects of EECP which are vasculoprotective and anti-atherosclerotic. EECP-induced endothelial shear stress increase may lead to improvement in endothelial function and morphology, attenuation of oxidative stress and inflammation, and promotion of angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. This review summarizes evidence of the potential mechanisms contributing to the immediate and long-term benefits of EECP, from the perspective of its shear stress-increasing effects.
Subject(s)
Coronary Artery Disease/physiopathology , Coronary Artery Disease/surgery , Counterpulsation/standards , Endothelium, Vascular/physiology , Hemodynamics/physiology , Counterpulsation/methods , HumansABSTRACT
A retrospective analysis was conducted of 79 consecutive patients who underwent enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) at West Virginia University Hospitals during the period of November 1998 to September 2005 to determine its efficacy and safety in treating angina. A chart review and/or phone survey was performed to analyze pertinent clinical data (sublingual nitroglycerin use and angina class) pre and post EECP. A total of 60 (76%) patients who were referred for EECP successfully finished the 35 treatments. Seventy-five percent of the patient population improved at least one angina class after a full course of treatment. Therapy was discontinued due to adverse effects in 12 (15%) patients. Statistically significant improvements in angina class and reduction in anti-angina medications were observed in every co-morbid subgroup analyzed, including patients with peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, smoking, Post-MI, and LVEF < 40% (P < .05, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test). Overall, EECP was effective in improving angina as reflected in a substantial reduction in antiangina medications in 59 (75%) patients.
Subject(s)
Angina Pectoris/therapy , Counterpulsation/methods , Hospitals, University , Aged , Counterpulsation/standards , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Treatment Outcome , West VirginiaABSTRACT
This study was designed to compare the effects of juxtaaortic balloon counterpulsation (JABC), performed in ascending aorta and the aortic arch, with those yielded by intraaortic balloon counterpulsation (IABC) in descending aorta, in experimental animals during induced cardiac failure. JABC was achieved with a manufactured Dacron prosthesis and a balloon pump placed between the prosthesis and the wrapped aorta. JABC resulted in a significant increase of cardiac output (from 2.33+/-0.82 to 2.61+/-1.12 L/min, p < 0.05), cardiac index (from 0.071+/-0.025 to 0.080+/-0.033 L/min/kg, p < 0.05) and diastolic pressure augmentation evaluated through diastolic and systolic areas beneath the aortic pressure curve (DABAC/SABAC) index (from 0.94+/-0.21 to 1.10+/-0.33, p < 0.01). End diastolic aortic pressure showed a significant decrease with JABC (from 31.90+/-7.09 to 27.83+/-9.72 mm Hg, p < 0.05). A close association between percentage of DABAC/SABAC increases obtained with IABC and JABC was observed (r2 = 0.67; p < 0.001). Counterpulsation obtained by a juxtaaortic catheter placed in the arch and the ascending wrapped aorta results in an effective hemodynamic improvement comparable with that achieved by an intraaortic catheter in open chest sheep.
Subject(s)
Aorta, Thoracic , Aorta , Cardiac Output, Low/therapy , Counterpulsation/standards , Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping/standards , Animals , Blood Pressure , Cardiac Output , Cardiac Output, Low/physiopathology , Diastole , Sheep , SystoleABSTRACT
Heart failure remains a significant health problem in the United States and in the world. Despite a surfeit of recent diagnostic and therapeutic advances, patients with heart failure remain inadequately helped. The overwhelming need for new and better therapies continues to stimulate scientists to investigate new technologies. Over the past several years the use of enhanced external counterpulsation as a treatment for chronic angina has steadily increased. Recently, its potential role in heart failure management has been shown. We review the role of enhanced external counterpulsation in heart failure management as an emerging noninvasive outpatient therapy.
Subject(s)
Counterpulsation/methods , Heart Failure/therapy , Angina Pectoris/etiology , Angina Pectoris/therapy , Counterpulsation/standards , Endothelial Growth Factors , Humans , Treatment Outcome , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/complications , Ventricular FunctionABSTRACT
Intra-aortic balloon counterpulsations decrease the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and, subsequently, the left atrial pressure in patients with impaired myocardial function following myocardial infarction. This paper reports a case of right ventricular infarction in a patient with patency of the oval foramen where the use of intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation led to the perpetuation of the right-to-left shunt.
