We sought to demonstrate the safety of ambulation of patients with intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABPs) inserted via the femoral approach in the setting of 1 cardiovascular surgical intensive care unit and 1 cardiac care unit. We studied 70 patients who had received femoral IABPs at our institution between December 2015 and June 2019 and who met standardized criteria for ambulation. These patients underwent initial standing trials with a specialty standing bed/tilt table and progressed to standing exercises and, ultimately, to ambulation (defined as covering a distance of at least 10 feet) with the physical therapist. A total of 323 sessions of ambulation were successfully performed in 70 patients with IABPs inserted via the femoral approach, for an average of 4.61 sessions per patient. The average ambulation session time was 45 minutes (3–62 minutes, covering a median distance of 420 ft [805 IQR]). Complications were defined as major or minor and were monitored for during and after ambulation. Major complications included limb ischemia, arterial dissection, aortic aneurysm, balloon rupture, significant hemodynamic compromise, and death. Minor complications included balloon migration, infection, paresthesia, changes in balloon augmentation, and hematoma at insertion site. No major complications were associated with ambulation, and only 11 minor complications were observed. The total complication rate was 3.40% for all ambulation sessions. Ambulation of selected patients with femoral IABPs appears to be a safe activity when using the enclosed protocol and selection process. Future studies are required to show that such activities decrease muscle deconditioning in these patients and enhance recovery.

我们试图证明在 1 个心血管外科重症监护病房和 1 个心脏监护病房中通过股动脉入路插入主动脉内球囊泵 (IABP) 的患者下床活动的安全性。我们研究了 70 名在 2015 年 12 月至 2019 年 6 月期间在我们机构接受过股骨 IABP 且符合行走标准化标准的患者。这些患者接受了专业站立床/倾斜台的初步站立试验，然后进行站立练习，最终与物理治疗师一起下地行走（定义为至少行走 10 英尺）。70 名通过股骨入路置入 IABP 的患者共成功进行了 323 次下地活动，平均每位患者 4.61 次。平均行走时间为 45 分钟（3-62 分钟，平均距离为 420 英尺 [805 IQR]）。并发症被定义为主要的或次要的，并在行走期间和之后进行监测。主要并发症包括肢体缺血、动脉夹层、主动脉瘤、球囊破裂、严重的血流动力学损害和死亡。轻微并发症包括球囊移位、感染、感觉异常、球囊增大的变化和插入部位的血肿。没有重大并发症与下地活动相关，仅观察到 11 种轻微并发症。所有下床活动的总并发症发生率为 3.40%。当使用封闭的协议和选择过程时，选定的股骨 IABP 患者的步行似乎是一项安全的活动。