Certain forms of extracorporeal circulation exemplified by cardiopulmonary bypass require continuous high-dose anticoagulation to prevent thromboembolic complications. We hypothesized that monocytes may be stimulated to express tissue factor (TF) during prolonged simulated extracorporeal circulation. TF was identified both by flow cytometry by using three TF-specific monoclonal antibodies and f...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The introduction of extracorporeal circulation in clinical practice was decisive for the development of modern cardiovascular surgery. Addition of new procedures and equipment, however, brings inherent risks and complications. The objective of this report is to describe a malfunction of the oxygenation system and emphasize the importance of the interaction among the me...

In 1954 Gibbon, after many years of experimental work, achieved the first successful total body perfusion in a human patient using a form of cardiopulmonary bypass. A prime aim of all workers in this field since then has been to produce safe and adequate anticoagulation of the blood during such a procedure, and to reverse it swiftly and safely at the end of the operation. Furthermore it seems a...

Even in patients with chronic renal failure and chronic intermittent hemodialysis, continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) is the most often practiced renal replacement technique in the intensive care unit. Although patients show less hemodynamic instability during CVVH than during hemodialysis, it requires a blood flow exceeding 200 ml/min in the extracorporeal circuit necessitating the us...

IN THE PAST DECADE hypothermia has been a subject of intense experimental and clinical study.'-6 After initial experiences showed its severe limitations for intracardiac surgery, many technics of hypothermia were gladly discarded as pump-oxygenators were developed. Subsequently, the combination of hypothermia and extracorporeal circulation has permitted degrees of hypothermia previously incompa...

In hemodialysis, the patient’s blood is flown through an extracorporeal circuit containing a hemodialyzer. This process stimulates coagulation for several reasons, most notably the blood’s contact with the artificial surfaces of the tubing and dialyzer membrane and with air in the venous bubble trap, turbulent and stagnant blood flow, shear stress and hemoconcentration during the treatment [1]....

Fluid overload (FO) is a common complication for pediatric patients in the intensive care unit. When conventional therapy fails, hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis is classically used for fluid removal. Unfortunately, these therapies are often associated with cardiovascular or respiratory instability. Ultrafiltration, using devices such as the Aquadex™ system (Baxter Healthcare, Deerfield, IL,...

IN THE PAST DECADE hypothermia has been a subject of intense experimental and clinical study.'-6 After initial experiences showed its severe limitations for intracardiac surgery, many technics of hypothermia were gladly discarded as pump-oxygenators were developed. Subsequently, the combination of hypothermia and extracorporeal circulation has permitted degrees of hypothermia previously incompa...

Although accidental hypothermia is considered a totally preventable cause of death, severe hypothermia (<28 o C) carries a mortality rate about 21%. That’s why conventional rewarming techniques such as using a warming blanket, warm intravenous saline, nasogastric lavage, continuous bladder irrigation and thoracic lavage via chest tubes are often considered inefficient and extracorporeal circula...