Electrostatic Discharge Causing Pump Shutdown in HeartMate 3

Emil Najjar; Ann Hallberg Kristensen; Tonje Thorvaldsen; Magnus Dalén; Ulrich P Jorde; Lars H Lund

doi:10.1016/j.jaccas.2020.12.036

Electrostatic Discharge Causing Pump Shutdown in HeartMate 3

JACC Case Rep. 2021 Mar 17;3(3):459-463. doi: 10.1016/j.jaccas.2020.12.036. eCollection 2021 Mar.

Authors

Emil Najjar^{1

2}, Ann Hallberg Kristensen², Tonje Thorvaldsen^{1

2}, Magnus Dalén^{3

4}, Ulrich P Jorde⁵, Lars H Lund^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
² Heart and Vascular Theme, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
³ Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁴ Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁵ Department of Cardiology, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.

Abstract

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) improve symptoms and outcomes in advanced heart failure. Although device malfunction has decreased significantly with later generation LVADs, it has not been eliminated. We describe the clinical course of a patient with HeartMate 3 LVAD who experienced device malfunction, involving temporary pump shutdown suspected to be caused by electrostatic discharge. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Keywords: CRT-D, cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator; ESD, electrostatic discharge; FDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; HM3, HeartMate 3; HeartMate 3; ICD, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator; LVAD, left ventricular assist device; MPU, mobile power unit; complications; device; device malfunction; heart failure; left ventricular assist device.

Publication types

Case Reports