New ACCF/AHA/SCAI Guidelines With Increased Recommendations for the Use of Extracorporeal Hemodynamic Support in Patients With Cardiac or Cardio-Pulmonary Failure

AMPFING, Germany, January 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

LIFEBRIDGE Medizintechnik AG today announces increased recommendations for hemodynamic support by guidelines for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Issued by the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF), the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Society for Coronary Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), guidelines provide expanded recommendations for hemodynamic support in patients with cardiogenic shock, during high-risk PCIs and to stabilize emergent patients in hospitals without on-site cardiac surgery. The innovative portable LIFEBRIDGE system, with its clinically proven capability to completely substitute cardiac function and oxygenate emergency patients, is the ideal cardiopulmonary support system for PCI centers to fulfill the updated guideline recommendations.

The 2011 ACCF/AHA/SCAI guidelines incorporate hemodynamic support for:

Class I: Cardiogenic Shock
"A hemodynamic support device is recommended for patients with cardiogenic shock after STEMI who do not quickly stabilize with pharmacological therapy."(Level of Evidence B)

Class IIb: Adjunctive Therapeutic Devices: Percutaneous Hemodynamic Support Devices:
"Elective insertion of an appropriate hemodynamic support device as an adjunct to PCI may be reasonable in carefully selected high-risk patients."(Level of Evidence: C)

Class III: HARM: PCI in Hospitals Without On-Site Surgical Backup:
"Primary or elective PCI should not be performed in hospitals without on-site cardiac surgery capabilities without a proven plan for rapid transport to a cardiac surgery operating room in a nearby hospital or without appropriate hemodynamic support capability for transfer."(Level of Evidence: C)

"Minimizing the time to initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass in patients requiring extracorporeal support now, for the first time, has been fully addressed by the updated PCI guidelines," said Professor Hans-Reinhard Zerkowski, cardiac surgeon and CEO of LIFEBRIDGE Medizintechnik AG. "The portable LIFEBRIDGE system is a unique solution for advanced life support in PCI centers and best suited to fulfill the updated guideline recommendations. Together with its unique safety features and usability LIFEBRIDGE markedly will improve the standard of care in cardiac and respiratory emergencies."

An extended version of the press release and additional information are available online:
http://www.lifebridge.de/cms/front_content.php?idart=426&idcat=176&lang=5 

CONTACT
Dr.Hans-Jürgen Bruns, Business Development, LIFEBRIDGE Medizintechnik AG
phone: +49-17664262594
FAX: +49-2512030077
e-mail: hj.bruns@lifebridge.de