Updated recommendations for subset of implanted Medtronic HeartWare™ Ventricular Assist Device Systems (HVAD™) with potential delay or failure of pump restart

A Dear Healthcare Professional Letter has been issued by Medtronic International Ltd, as a follow-up to their earlier communication in January 2021, to update healthcare professionals of additional recommendations to assist in clinical decision-making when considering a controller exchange for a subset of implanted Medtronic HeartWare™ Ventricular Assist Device (HVAD™) Systems with potential delay or failure of pump restart. In addition to the patient management recommendations communicated previously, healthcare professionals are advised to consider on an individual case-by-case basis if an elective controller exchange should be performed, based on their clinical judgement. In addition, healthcare professionals are advised that the pump will not stop due to a Medium Priority alarm. A Medium Priority alarm can be temporarily muted to allow time to bring the patient to a clinic to determine next steps while the pump is still functioning. While this alarm can also be permanently silenced, clinicians are advised to consider the risk before doing so. Please refer to the letter for details.
Healthcare professional, Industry member, Medical devices
Published:

Dear Healthcare Professional Letters

8 Jul 2021

Only abstracts of the Dear Healthcare Professional Letters (DHCPL) are provided on this website. Details of the letters can be found on the MOH Alert System, which is accessible via the Health Professionals Portal (HPP). HPP is a one-stop portal for all healthcare professionals in Singapore. Dentists, medical doctors and pharmacists may access HPP at https://www.hpp.moh.gov.sg/, and follow the procedures below to access the MOH Alert system.

Step 1: Scroll down to the bottom navigation panel of the HPP web page. Under the Healthcare Professionals section, expand the dropdown option for ‘Healthcare Professional Portal’ and select your profession. You will be redirected to the specific HPP web page to log in.

Step 2: Click on the Restricted Content icon on the left panel of the web page and log in via SingPass.

Step 3: Click on the MOH Alert icon under the ‘Applications’ section.

Step 4: Click on the Drug Alert tab to view the DHCPLs.