Balloon Pump Patients — To treat or not to treat

Abstract

<h2>Summary</h2> Very little has been written about the physiotherapeutic management of patients on the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP). This is, perhaps, not surprising since the IABP is still relatively new and not in general use. Although it is, at present, mainly found in hopsitals where cardiac surgery is performed, the indications for counterpulsation are slowly changing, and soon the IABP may be a much more common sight on general intensive care units. For this reason it is important to familiarise the staff who will come into contact with the IABP with its use, so that patients requiring counterpulsation can receive optimum levels of care. Education of physiotherapy staff regarding the IABP and any necessary modifications in treatment varies widely, from advising no treatment whatsoever, to the use of most physiotherapeutic modalities. This discrepancy occurs even where the IABP is used frequently. Lack of well-documented guide lines for physiotherapists inevitably leads to uncertainty about how much can be safely done with these patients, and may prevent physiotherapists from carrying out the necessary treatment. The intention of this paper, therefore, is to promote a basic understanding of the physiotherapeutic management of patients on a ballon pump.