The utility of CardioMEMS in left ventricular assist device patients with gastrointestinal bleeding

We report a correlation between trends of hemodynamic parameters including pulmonary artery pressures (PAP) and heart rate recorded by CardioMEMS device (St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, MN, USA) and presentation of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in two patients with left ventricular assist devices. We observed a decline in PAP levels prior to symptom onset and reduction in hemoglobin level in both patients. Early recognition of hemodynamic changes by CardioMEMS device might help clinicians to detect the preclinical phase of GI bleeding and intervene before patients develop severe symptoms and associated morbidity. <Learning objective: Early recognition of changes in pulmonary artery pressures and heart rate by CardioMEMS device might help clinicians to detect the preclinical phase of gastrointestinal bleeding that is a common complication in left ventricular assist device patients and to intervene before patients develop severe symptoms and associated morbidity.>.