PEDIATRIC INTRA-AORTIC BALLOON PUMP

INTRA-AORTIC BALLOON PUMPING (IABP) HAS BECOME A STANDARD TREATMENT MODALITY FOR CARDIOGENIC SHOCK IN ADULTS BUT HAS BEEN USED ONLY SPARINGLY IN INFANTS. THIS IS DUE IN PART TOTHE LIMITATIONS OF THE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE DRIVE SYSTEMS, WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO MEET THE PHYSIOLOGIC NEEDS OF AN ADULT. A BALLOON PUMP, SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO THE SMALL VOLUMES AND HIGHER RATES OFTEN SEEN IN PEDIATRIC CASES, WILL BE DEVELOPED AND TESTED ON A MOCK CIRCULATION SYSTEM. COMPARISONS TO COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE DRIVE SYSTEMS WILL BE MADE IN VITRO, AND THE DATA WILL BE VALIDATED BY A SERIES OFIN VIVO EXPERIMENTS USING DOGS. APPROPRIATE IABP EQUIPMENT MAY THEN BE AVAILABLE FOR USE IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN WHENEVER LOW CARDIAC OUTPUT SYNDROME IS PRESENT. ADDITIONAL CLINICAL EXPERIENCE MIGHT THEN LEAD TO EXPANDED USE IN CASES OF MYOCARDITIS OR SEPSIS.