Final answer:
An intraaortic balloon pump, used in certain cardiac conditions, works by inflating and deflating a balloon in the aorta. The pump is synchronized with the patient's EKG activity to inflate after ventricular repolarization and deflate before ventricular depolarization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The different aspects of intraaortic balloon pumps are as follows:
- Mechanism: Intraaortic balloon pumps work by inflating and deflating a balloon that is placed in the aorta, the main artery of the body. The balloon inflates during diastole (when the heart is at rest) to increase blood flow to the coronary arteries and deflates during systole (when the heart is contracting) to decrease the workload on the heart.
- Indications: Intraaortic balloon pumps are used in certain cardiac conditions to provide temporary circulatory support. They are commonly used in patients with severe heart failure, cardiogenic shock, or during high-risk cardiac procedures.
- Appearance of arterial waveform: When the balloon pump is properly functioning, the waveform on the arterial pressure monitoring system will show a characteristic shape, with an augmented systolic peak and a decreased diastolic pressure.
- Inflation/deflation timing: The balloon pump is synchronized with the patient's EKG activity. It inflates just after the T wave (ventricular repolarization) and deflates just before the next QRS complex (ventricular depolarization)