Refill balloon following any helium tubing disconnection. DO NOT draw blood from the aortic line under normal circumstances. Draw blood specimens from a peripheral arterial line. If air or clot enters the arterial port of the IAB, the embolus enters directly into the aorta. Care must be taken to prevent flushing of clots into the aorta.
Clots entering the aorta can enter the coronary or cerebral circulation.
Access to the cerebral or coronary circulation can be facilitated by inflation of the balloon, therefore, the pump must be on standby during flushing. The balloon pump does not need to be disconnected during defibrillation. The survival in this setting is unlikely.