Ventricular Assist Device-Related Haemolysis Presenting with Acute Pancreatitis
  • Sanna Fatima
    Department of Internal Medicine, Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, USA
  • Yaser Alhamshari
    Department of Internal Medicine, Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, USA
  • Moiz Salahuddin
    Department of Internal Medicine, Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, USA

Keywords

VAD thrombosis, VAD complication, acute pancreatitis, hemolysis

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis is one of the rare complications in patients fitted with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). We herein report a case of acute pancreatitis in a patient with LVAD triggered by intravascular haemolysis. A 44-year-old man with non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) after VAD implantation presented with epigastric pain. Laboratory work-up showed acute pancreatitis and haemolysis. As there was concern that device thrombosis was causing haemolysis, the patient was started on unfractionated heparin infusion. The patient was discharged when haemolysis and pancreatitis had resolved. To our knowledge, VAD-associated haemolysis presenting with acute pancreatitis is infrequently described in the literature.

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    Published: 2017-05-26
    Issue: Vol. 4 No. 4 (view)


    How to cite:
    1.
    Fatima S, Alhamshari Y, Salahuddin M. Ventricular Assist Device-Related Haemolysis Presenting with Acute Pancreatitis. EJCRIM 2017;4 doi:10.12890/2017_000557.