Bridge to decision: SWAT team approach used by Mayo Clinic Arizona's cardiac transport team.
OBJECTIVE
Patients in acute cardiogenic shock are the most challenging patients to manage. Unless a mechanical circulatory assist device is placed, maintaining end-organ function can be difficult. Transporting cardiogenic shock patients to tertiary care centers for higher level care also is difficult. The Mayo Clinic Arizona uses a SWAT team approach to deploy a specialized medical or surgical multidisciplinary team to implant mechanical circulatory assist devices at referring hospitals and transport patients back to Mayo Clinic Arizona.


RESULTS
The cardiac transport team at Mayo Clinic Arizona got 23 referrals from 15 local community hospitals from February 2006 to September 2009. The medical team deployed for transfers of 6 patients, 3 of whom survived to hospital discharge. The surgical transport team deployed for transfers of 17 patients (6 with left ventricular assist devices, 2 with right ventricular assist devices, 5 with biventricular assist devices, and 4 with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), of whom 8 survived to hospital discharge. Ten of the 17 referrals (59%) required a surgeon to place a mechanical circulatory assist device at the referring hospital.


CONCLUSIONS
The SWAT team approach allows cardiogenic shock patients to be stabilized at the referring hospital by heart failure and cardiac surgical specialists. If necessary, a surgeon from Mayo Clinic Arizona places a mechanical circulatory assist device at the referring hospital to stabilize the patient. Doing so allows safe transport back to the tertiary care center for higher level care and possible transplant evaluation with placement of a long-term durable device.
Staley
Linda L
LL
Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona 85054, USA. staley.linda@mayo.edu
Dobberpuhl
Jeff
J
Pierce
Christopher N
CN
Scott
Robert L
RL
Jaroszewski
Dawn E
DE
Arabia
Francisco A
FA
D001130:Arizona; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012770:Shock, Cardiogenic / Q000601:surgery*; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000458:organization & administration*