As the device senses the onset of systole, it quickly deflates the balloon, causing an abrupt decrease in the pressure within the aorta. Recall that the aortic valve opens because the ventricle generates greater pressure during systole than exists in the aorta. When the balloon deflates just as systole begins and the pressure falls, the resistance to ejection falls and afterload decreases. The ventricle can easily eject its contents against less resistance. This makes the IABP a lifesaving device for many patients whose hearts cannot handle the normal workload, such as patient with heart failure in the immediate period after cardiac surgery or patients who are waiting for a donor heart for transplant.
Nurses can also reduce afterload by helping patients control pain and anxiety.
Maintaining a calm atmosphere, managing pain, and assisting patients to maintain some control over their own care are a few. In our technologically advanced world, we sometimes forget how much these factors influence patient outcomes. A patient with a damaged myocardium will greatly benefit from nursing interventions that minimize workload and oxygen demand on the heart by decreasing the sympathetic stimulation. Preload and afterload are sophisticated concepts that allow nurses to understand complex physiologic changes that often accompany cardiovascular disease. By using their knowledge of these changes, nurses can coordinate medical and nursing interventions to promote better patient outcomes.