Air embolism and other accidents using pump oxygenators.
A surgery of 349 cardiac surgeons showed that during a six-year period, a pump oxygenator accident serious enough to cause patient injury or death occurred one per 1,000 procedures. A total of 264 deaths occurred as a direct results of an accident. Air embolism and disseminated intravascular coagulation were the two most common problems. Low-level alarm systems were reported to be used by 42% of the respondents and activated clotting times were used by 63%. Rigorous use of alarm systems and heparin monitoring could reduce the incidence of pump-related accidents.
D000368:Aged; D001810:Blood Volume; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010106:Oxygenators / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time
D006493:Heparin