PRECISE QUANTIFICATION OF PULSATILITY IS A NECESSITY FOR DIRECT COMPARISONS OF SIX DIFFERENT PEDIATRIC HEART-LUNG MACHINES IN A NEONATAL CPB MODEL

The objective of this study was to precisely quantify and compare pressure-flow waveforms in terms of Surplus Hemodynamic Energy (SHE) levels of six different pediatric heart-lung machines. Thirty-nine piglets were subjected to CPB and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with a hydraulically-driven physiologic-pulsatile-pump, Jostra pulsatile-roller-pump, SIII pulsatile-roller-pump, SIII mast-mounted pulsatile-roller-pump with a miniature-roller-head, SIII mast-mounted non-pulsatile-roller-pump, or Stockert-CAPS-non-pulsatile-roller-pump. The SHE (ergs/cm³) = 1,332 [((∫ fpdt) / (∫ fdt)) – MAP] was calculated.

Conclusions:

The Physiologic-Pulsatile-Pump produced the greatest surplus hemodynamic energy. None of the non-pulsatile roller pumps generated adequate surplus hemodynamic energy. The SHE formula is a novel method to precisely quantify different levels of pulsatility and non-pulsatility for direct and meaningful comparisons.

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