A new clinical trial to improve treatment of cardiogenic shock is taking place at hospitals including St. Joseph Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center. These Washington hospitals are among the first in the country to adopt the National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative Study’s best practice protocol, which shows a 72 percent survival rate.
This protocol includes placing the world’s smallest heart pump, called the Impella, identifying shock early, and minimizing the use of inotropes. Because cardiogenic shock is the leading cause of death in heart attack patients — and because there have been no improvements made to patient outcomes for 40 years — this clinical trial could lead to a huge breakthrough in medicine.
See the full article: Groundbreaking Clinical Trial at St. Joseph Medical Center (South Sound Magazine)
