Abstract
This paper describes some of the ways unwanted air can be introduced into a cardiopulmonary bypass circuit and a technique which has been shown to significantly decrease the resultant bubble counts. In this study air was introduced into a circuit (Hct. 20%) containing a Hollow Fiber Membrane Oxygenator (HFMO). Conventional techniques of recirculation (3 L/min.) and vigorous agitation/percussion were compared to recirculation with vacuum (gas phase of HFMO) for efficiency in reducing bubble counts measured after three minutes by a microbubble counter. Conventional methods were ineffective after three minutes while vacuum for 3 minutes significantly (p = .001) reduced bubble counts (bubbles > 100 microns). The microporous membrane allows efficient air removal with vacuum while recirculation/percussion did little to remove air which, in a blood perfusate, was not visible to the naked eye. The application of vacuum not only increases safety but convenience when used in the priming and de bubbling of a circuit in routine and emergency case.
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