ABSTRACT
Mechanical cardiopulmonary assist devices have been infrequently employed following trauma, mainly due to concerns of anticoagulation and exacerbation of bleeding from injuries. In addition, solitary injury to the heart requiring use of only an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), right ventricular assist device (RVAD), or left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is also rare. More common in trauma is the need for combined therapy with extracorporeal life support (ECLS) due to bilateral pulmonary contusions and concomitant right and/or left ventricular failure (1). Although still rarely used in support of the acute trauma patient, a few case reports from specialized centers have demonstrated successful results using these support modalities (discussed below).
