TABLE 5.
Causes of Death in 1287 LVAD* Destination Therapy Patients INTERMACS June 2006 – December 2011
| Pulsatile Flow Pumps | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early (≤ mon) | Later (>1 mon) | Total | ||||
| (n = 13) | (n = 53) | (n = 66) | ||||
| Primary cause of death | No | % | No | % | No | % |
| Cardiac failure | ||||||
| RV failure | 2 | 15% | 4 | 8% | 6 | 9% |
| Arrhythmia/Other | 1 | 8% | 6 | 11% | 7 | 11% |
| Infection | 1 | 8% | 8 | 15% | 9 | 14% |
| CNS event | 5 | 38% | 7 | 13% | 12 | 18% |
| Multiorgan failure | 0 | 0% | 3 | 6% | 3 | 5% |
| Respiratory failure | 2 | 15% | 1 | 2% | 3 | 5% |
| Bleeding | ||||||
| Gastrointestinal | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Surgical | 1 | 8% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 1% |
| Other Bleeding | 1 | 8% | 2 | 4% | 3 | 5% |
| Device failure | 0 | 0% | 3 | 6% | 3 | 5% |
| Renal failure | 0 | 0% | 1 | 2% | 1 | 1% |
| Hepatic failure | 0 | 0% | 1 | 2% | 1 | 1% |
| Malignancy | 0 | 0% | 1 | 2% | 1 | 1% |
| Arterial embolism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Cardiac tamponade | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Withdrawal of support | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Other | 0 | 0% | 16 | 30% | 16 | 24% |
| Total | 13 | 100% | 53 | 100% | 66 | 100% |
CNS, central nervous system; INTERMACS, Interagency Registry for Mechanical Circulatory Support; LVAD, left ventricular assist device.
*
includes RVADs implanted at the time of LVAD or subsequent to LVAD implant.