Comparative Outcomes of Direct Impella Use vs. Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP)-to- Impella Escalation Strategy in Cardiogenic Shock: Insights from the National Inpatient Sample
In patients with cardiogenic shock, initiating Impella support directly rather than escalating from an IABP is associated with similar in-hospital mortality but significantly shorter hospital stays, lower costs, fewer transfusions, and lower rates of subsequent durable LVAD implantation or heart transplantation.