Reduction in air bubble size using perfluorocarbons during cardiopulmonary bypass in the rat.
BACKGROUND
Perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsions are artificial oxygen-carrying compounds with a high solubility for gases that have experimentally been shown to ameliorate cerebral air embolism. Cerebral air embolism has been associated with adverse cerebral outcomes after cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). We designed this study to test whether PFC emulsions could reduce the volume of bubbles within the CPB circuit.


METHODS
Male Sprague-Dawley rats undergoing 60 min of normothermic nonpulsatile CPB were randomized to one of the three groups. The PFC group (n = 10) received 60% O(2)/36% N(2)/4% CO(2) via the membrane oxygenator and 2.7 g/kg (4.5 mL/kg) of PFC into the venous reservoir; the control group (n = 10) received the same gas mixture and 4.5 mL/kg of saline; the N(2)O group (n = 6) was exposed to 36% N(2)O/60% O(2)/4% CO(2) and received 4.5 mL/kg of saline. After 10 min and 35 min of CPB, 400 microL of air was injected into a bubble chamber in the CPB circuit. After 20 min, the bubble was removed for volumetric analysis.


RESULTS
Compared with baseline, the bubble decreased 13% +/- 5% in size in the PFC group and increased 46% +/- 9% in the nitrous oxide group, both of these changes significantly different from the control group (P < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that PFC administration may be useful in reducing the volume of gaseous bubbles present during CPB.
Yoshitani
Kenji
K
Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, DMUC Box 3094, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
de Lange
Fellery
F
Ma
Qing
Q
Grocott
Hilary P
HP
Mackensen
G Burkhard
GB
D000818:Animals; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D005466:Fluorocarbons; D009609:Nitrous Oxide