Cardiogenic Shock

This page includes content on technologies to treat cardiogenic shock, including percutaneous ventricular assist devices (pVAD), intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). This condition occurs when the heart can no longer pump enough oxygenated blood to the body. The most common cause of cardiogenic shock is damage to the heart from a severe heart attack. The standard of care for this condition for more than 20 years has a 50 percent survival rate, but improvements have recently been seen in studies using early pVAD intervention prior to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). For more information, visit the National Institute of Health (NIH) cardiogenic shock information page.