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Review
. 2021 Dec 15;32(4):452-460.
doi: 10.4037/aacnacc2021501.

The Fountain of Youth Will Not Last Forever: End of Life in Patients Receiving Mechanical Circulatory Support

Mary H Johnson  1 , Colleen Bass  2 , Sarah E Schroeder  3
Affiliations
Review

The Fountain of Youth Will Not Last Forever: End of Life in Patients Receiving Mechanical Circulatory Support

Mary H Johnson et al. AACN Adv Crit Care. .

Abstract

Health care providers face a unique set of decision-making, assessment, and equipment challenges at the end of life of patients supported with a left ventricular assist device. The aim for this article is to assist the multidisciplinary team in caring for patients with a left ventricular assist device in all phases of end-of-life care. This review includes common causes of death for patients with a left ventricular assist device, assessment at end of life, physiological and palliative care considerations, withdrawal of left ventricular assist device support, and equipment considerations.

Keywords: LVAD; end of life; hospice; palliative care; ventricular assist device.

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