Residency Curriculum Modules: LVADs in Rehabilitation with Leslie Rydberg, MD-LVAD Facilitator's Guide

LVAD Facilitator's Guide

Pdf Summary

The Residency Curriculum Project concerning LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device) introduces essential training components to prepare medical teams for admitting LVAD patients into inpatient rehabilitation units. The project is structured around three instructional videos covering medical, rehabilitation, and emergency considerations related to LVADs. Furthermore, it entails facilitating discussions focused on handling various scenarios that may arise in patients with LVADs.<br /><br />Key training areas for the nursing, therapy, PM&R, and overnight medical teams include understanding LVAD parameters, equipment handling, battery management, connection protocols, and backup controller changes. Awareness of potential LVAD emergencies, such as low flow, pump failure, and elevated power or clots within the system, is crucial. Medical teams are also advised to keep contact information for a 24-hour emergency LVAD team readily available.<br /><br />For successful patient discharge into the community, both patients and their caregivers must be trained in managing the LVAD and responding to emergencies. Many outpatient therapy centers and skilled nursing facilities lack specialized LVAD training, potentially limiting patient access to these services post-discharge.<br /><br />Specific scenarios presented involve managing complications in patients with LVADs, such as chest pain, low flow alarms, hypotension, elevated LVAD power, and shortness of breath. Differential diagnoses for these symptoms include a range of medical conditions from acute coronary syndrome and pulmonary embolism to orthostatic hypotension, LVAD failure, or systemic clot formation. Effective management involves immediate medical response and addressing underlying causes, especially considering elevated LVAD power, which signals a possible clot and constitutes a medical emergency.<br /><br />This comprehensive approach equips the care teams with necessary skills and understanding, ensuring safe and effective rehabilitation for LVAD patients within the facility and thereafter.

Keywords

LVAD

Residency Curriculum

inpatient rehabilitation

medical training

emergency considerations

battery management

LVAD emergencies

patient discharge

differential diagnoses

medical response