Artificial organs
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Apolipoprotein E (apoE) may play a critical role in modulating the response to neurological injury after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in children. Plasma samples were collected from 38 pediatric patients. Half of the patients received nonpulsatile flow and the other half underwent pulsatile flow during CPB. ⋯ ApoE levels decreased further at 1 h after CPB, and then significantly increased by 24 h. The mode of perfusion and the duration of pump time and clamp time influence the apoE levels after CPB. An improved understanding of these mechanisms may translate into the development of new techniques to improve the clinical outcomes after pediatric CPB.
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Arrhythmias are a frequent complication during extracorporeal life support (ECLS). A new ECLS system can provide pulsatile flow synchronized to the patient's intrinsic cardiac cycle based upon the R wave of the electrocardiogram (ECG). It is unclear how the occurrence of arrhythmias may alter the hemodynamic performance of the system. ⋯ This study demonstrated the feasibility of generating pulsatile ECLS flow with the novel ECG-synchronized i-cor system during various simulated rhythms. The optimal rate for pulsatile flow was 90 bpm. During irregular rhythms, the lower pulsatile frequency was the more reliable synchronization mode for generating pulsatile flow.
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In pediatric cardiac surgery, there is a substantial gap between published recommendations or guidelines for blood product use and clinical practice. The drawbacks of blood transfusion are well acknowledged though. The aim of this paper is to present the rationale for packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma (FFP), and platelets used in pediatric patients. ⋯ In clinical studies, the prevention of bleeding through prophylactic infusion of platelets proved to be useless. Optimizing the use of blood products (avoiding overuse, underuse, and inappropriate use) is a challenging task in pediatric cardiac surgery. Data or guidelines cannot replace clinical judgment and the decision to transfuse is left to individual discretion, but the medical community needs to optimize its transfusion practice, otherwise policy-makers without similar expertise may step in to regulate the use of blood products.