Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41017474›Full record

GuidelineCirculation. Cardiovascular quality and outcomes2025

Developing a Toolkit to Reduce Infections Following Durable LVAD Implantation in the United States Using a Multistage Mixed Methods Design.

P Paul Chandanabhumma, Sriram Swaminathan, Lourdes M Cabrera, Shiwei Zhou, Carol E Chenoweth, Hechuan Hou, Sarah Comstock, Preeti N Malani, Keith D Aaronson, Francis D Pagani and 2 more

Abstract readConsensus StatementPractice Guideline
In one paragraph

Guideline in Circulation. Cardiovascular quality and outcomes, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

P Paul ChandanabhummaDepartment of Family Medicine (P.P.C., S.S.), Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.ORCID 0000-0002-3079-5591
Sriram SwaminathanDepartment of Family Medicine (P.P.C., S.S.), Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.ORCID 0009-0003-3281-3612
Lourdes M CabreraDepartment of Cardiac Surgery (S.S., L.C., H.H., S.C., F.D.P., D.S.L.), Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.ORCID 0000-0003-2406-5098
Shiwei ZhouDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine (S.Z., C.E.C., P.N.M.), Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.ORCID 0000-0001-5635-405X
Carol E ChenowethDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine (S.Z., C.E.C., P.N.M.), Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.ORCID 0000-0002-3211-0509
Hechuan HouDepartment of Cardiac Surgery (S.S., L.C., H.H., S.C., F.D.P., D.S.L.), Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.ORCID 0000-0002-0890-0746
Sarah ComstockDepartment of Cardiac Surgery (S.S., L.C., H.H., S.C., F.D.P., D.S.L.), Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.ORCID 0009-0005-8375-563X
Preeti N MalaniDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine (S.Z., C.E.C., P.N.M.), Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.ORCID 0000-0002-8263-8408
Keith D AaronsonDivision of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine (K.D.A.), Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.ORCID 0000-0003-1538-576X
Francis D Pagani *Department of Cardiac Surgery (S.S., L.C., H.H., S.C., F.D.P., D.S.L.), Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.ORCID 0000-0003-4430-9969
Donald S Likosky *Department of Cardiac Surgery (S.S., L.C., H.H., S.C., F.D.P., D.S.L.), Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.ORCID 0000-0003-0416-9359
Michigan Congestive Heart Failure Investigators

Funding

AHRQ HHS R01 HS026003NHLBI NIH HHS HHSN268201100025C
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInfections following durable left ventricular assist device (dLVAD) implantation are common and associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Despite documented interhospital variability, few studies have identified strategies to mitigate their occurrence. This national study uses a multistage mixed methods design to develop a customizable and deployable toolkit of expert-guided recommendations to reduce infections post-dLVAD.

methodsUsing purposeful sampling, participants (eg, clinical and operational ventricular assist device [VAD] team members) from low, medium, and high-performance hospitals (based on their risk-adjusted, 90-day post-implantation infection rates) across the United States were interviewed to assess factors contributing to postdLVAD infections. Draft toolkit recommendations were iteratively developed after integrating thematically analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from a merged national registry with Medicare and hospital survey data. A national advisory team of VAD subject matter experts provided mixed methods input to refine the toolkit's content and structure.

resultsSeventy-three clinical and operational VAD team members across 8 US hospitals were interviewed, spanning low (n=4), medium (n=1) and high (n=3) performance groups. Fourteen subject matter experts provided stakeholder feedback to refine the toolkit. The resulting toolkit contains 39 infection prevention recommendations that address VAD program care processes (eg, real-time provider communication), clinicians (eg, multidisciplinary protocol development), patients and caregivers (eg, engaging patient advisors in patient education), and VAD leadership (eg, unit and service level data reporting). Accompanying resources (eg, team-based exercises, data collection worksheets) support implementing and evaluating site-specific strategies.

conclusionsUsing mixed methods approaches, an infection prevention toolkit was developed to enhance care coordination among VAD team members and mitigate postdLVAD infections. Future work should evaluate the effectiveness of implementing this infection prevention toolkit within the dLVAD setting.

Indexed as

Heart-Assist DevicesInfection ControlProsthesis-Related InfectionsSurgical Wound InfectionHumansinfectionsqualitative researchquality improvementventricular- assist device

Identifiers

PMID41017474
PMCPMC12721128

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.