Speakers
Dr Nicholas Barrett
Elizabeth (Lizzi) Jordan MBE
Clare Mellis
Professor Susanna Price
Stream 1
Outline of proposed content:
Cardiogenic shock continues to have a high mortality and morbidity. However, the advent of new technologies and improved patient pathways will impact these outcomes. This session will start with the basics of diagnosis, management and nursing of cardiogenic shock patients before moving onto more advanced treatments available in specialist centres (IABP, Impella, VA ECMO and VADs). These will be followed by a discussion of new networks and models of care being piloted in the UK. We are also delighted to be joined by Lizzi Jordan (Gold Medal winning Paralympic Cyclist) who will share her perspective of surviving cardiogenic shock.
Learning objectives
1) Initial management of cardiogenic shock
2) Nursing management of cardiogenic shock patients
3) Role of Mechanical support in cardiogenic shock
4) How we can develop systems to optimise care for patients with cardiogenic shock
Chaired by Nicholas Barrett and joined by
Hoon Sern Lim: Recognition, investigations and initial management of acute cardiogenic shock - key updates
Sarah Stirling: Mechanical Support Devices in acute cardiogenic shock – options and role in management
Clare Melis: Nursing the cardiogenic shock patient
Susanna Price: The new London wide cardiogenic shock service pilot, and national lessons
Lizzie Jordan: Surviving cardiogenic shock: A journey to recovery and beyond (TBC)
Dr Nicholas Barrett is a consultant in critical care medicine at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust who trained in both anaesthesia and intensive care medicine at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney Australia. He is Clinical Director for Respiratory and Critical Care at Guy’s and St Thomas' and has particular interests in severe cardio-respiratory failure, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and extracorporeal CO2 removal (ECCO2R), including its provision in pregnancy. He is a specialist advisor to NICE and the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch. He is past-chair of EuroELSO, the organisation supporting the development of ECMO in Europe and provides advice to ECMO programmes around the world.
Lizzi Jordan was a fit, able bodied 19-year-old when she was diagnosed with haemolytic uraemic syndrome, with myopericarditis and cardiogenic shock as a result of E.coli food poisoning. Her 12-week ICU hospital stay consisted of an 8-week coma and was transferred between 3 separate London hospitals for specialist care. She was so ill that St Bart’s placed her on ECMO. In 2017, the team were still finding their way with this complex therapy but surprisingly to her clinical team, Lizzi did well and after 11 days they transferred her back to UCH for rehab and review. Unfortunately, due to complications from HUS during her coma, Lizzi awoke to discover she had totally lost her eyesight. Rehab after such illness was difficult and coupled with her newly acquired life-changing disability, the coming months were difficult to say the least. Lizzi had to relearn how to walk and navigate her new life without her eyesight. Her determination and perseverance to make the most of her life, that she so nearly lost, was evident as 6 months after discharge she took up running with her Dad as her sighted guide. 14 months later she ran the London Marathon raising over £11,000 for RNIB. Turning to sport to save her, she then attended a Talent ID day with British Cycling who were looking for a visually impaired athlete to ride a tandem. Fast forward 4 years and Lizzi is now a Triple World Champion and Won her first Paralympic Gold in Paris 2024. Her clinical team are still in awe at what she has been able to achieve considering how slim her chances of survival were. She was recognised in the King’s 2025 New Year Honours and appointed MBE.
After qualifying from the University of Southampton in 2007, Clare has worked in several critical care units in London in a variety of clinical, research and leadership roles.
She is currently the Lead Nurse for the Barts Health Cardiogenic Shock Service which supports hospitals in North East London, with the aim to ensure equity for access and improve outcomes for patients in cardiogenic shock. Alongside this, she is the Lead Nurse for the Pan-London Cardiogenic Shock Board, working towards operationalising a London wide cardiogenic shock network.
Professor Susanna Price trained at King's College London, and continued training in cardiology and intensive care medicine at a number of centres, including St Thomas', St George's and Royal Brompton hospitals, London. During her cardiology training, she undertook a fellowship in echocardiography at the Thoraxcenter, Rotterdam and on completion of her training, she was awarded the Jill Dando GUCH fellowship, allowing her to train for a further two years in imaging and management of the critically ill grown-up congenital heart disease (GUCH) patients.
She has extensive expertise in critical care cardiology, including extracorporeal support and adult congenital heart disease, as well as echocardiography for valvular heart disease and intensive care/peri-procedural transoesophageal echocardiogram.
Professor Price is Chair of the Pan-London Cardiogenic Shock Board, NHS London, aiming to improve survival of patients with cardiogenic shock. She is Vice President of the European Society of Cardiology, sits on the on the global ELSO board of directors, is a member of ECMONet, as well as a WHO advisor for acute cardiovascular disease, and a Deputy Editor of the European Heart Journal. She received Honorary Membership of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) for her exceptional contribution to the ESICM and the speciality of intensive care medicine over a prolonged period.
Sarah is a Consultant in Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester. The 31 bedded Cardiothoracic Critical Care Unit sees a significant number of patients each year with acute cardiogenic shock and is home to the full gambit of supportive measures we use when standard interventions have failed. From IABPs, impellas, VA-ECMO and VADs right through to heart transplantation when necessary, our team loves nothing more than seeing a patient who presented with profound cardiogenic shock, improve and return home to their loved ones.
In the rare event she’s not busy in theatre or on the ICU, her other passion is in education and supporting the next generation of Intensivists. As she was once inspired by the highly supportive ICU environment she trained in as a Resident, she hopes her future Consultant colleagues will relish and embrace the challenges of Cardiac ICM in their careers.