Cardiac ventricular support. Considerations for psychiatry.

Cardiac ventricular support is fostering additional roles for psychiatric consultation with this vulnerable end-of-life cardiac group. Incidence of premorbid and postsurgical psychiatric disorders (Axis I), psychotropic use, neurologic events, and mortality was obtained for 21 Novacor left-ventricular assist system patients prospectively and 13 Abiomed left/right ventricular-assist device patients retrospectively. This fragile patient population and their families warrant involvement for psychiatry because of the extreme conditions and consequences associated with mechanical cardiac assistance. The authors address psychiatric morbidity and neurobehavioral modifications associated with ventricular support.