Studies during the immediate postoperative period following total body perfusion.

Abstract

In the period immediately following total body perfusion for open cardiotomy, careful evaluation and management of the patient is required. While physiologic studies carried out during this period are designed principally to give proper direction to the postoperative care of the patient, they may also be used as a measure of the adequacy of perfusion and the functional state of the cardiopulmonary systems. <h3>Materials and Methods</h3> The data to be presented were obtained during perfusion and in the immediate postoperative period in a group of 10 consecutive patients operated upon for a variety of congenital cardiac defects. One of the patients was mildly cyanotic; the other nine were acyanotic. The patients ranged in age from 1 to 15 years and in weight from 6 to 43 kg. With all patients the Clark oxygenator pump¹was used. The period of total body perfusion varied from 15½ to 59 minutes. Seven of