The Journal of extra-corporeal technology
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J Extra Corpor Technol · Dec 1998
Comparative StudyAssisted venous drainage, venous air, and gaseous microemboli transmission into the arterial line: an in-vitro study.
The objective of this study was to examine the interaction of cardiopulmonary bypass venous air with assisted venous drainage, focusing on its production of gaseous microemboli in the arterial line. An in-vitro recirculating cardiopulmonary bypass circuit containing fresh whole bovine blood was monitored with a pulsed-doppler microbubble detector. Air of specific amounts was injected into the venous line and gaseous microemboli counts were obtained distal to the arterial filter. ⋯ The air is subjected to a greater degree of negative pressure and, with centrifugal pump assisted drainage, is subjected to kinetic energy imparted by the cones or vanes of the pump. The kinetic energy from the centrifugal pump appears to break the air into small bubbles which become suspended in the blood, passing through the reservoir, oxygenator, and arterial filter. In a clinical setting, these bubbles would be passed into a patient's arterial system.