Cardiogenic shock (CS) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a life-threatening syndrome characterized by systemic hypoperfusion, which can quickly progress to multiorgan failure and death. Various devices and configurations of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) exist to support patients, each with unique pathophysiological characteristics. The Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) can improve coronary perfusion, decrease afterload, and indirectly augment cardiac output. TandemHeart, a percutaneous ventricular assist device (pVAD), can decrease left ventricular preload and directly augment cardiac output.

After years of research, an NIH-funded team has developed a wearable cardiac ultrasound imager that can non-invasively capture real-time images of the human heart. The prototype patch, which is about ...

An extraordinary firsthand account.