title: Potential Danger of Pre-Pump Clamping on Negative Pressure-Associated Gaseous Microemboli Generation During Extracorporeal Life Support--An In Vitro Study.
abstract: The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between revolution speed of a conventional centrifugal pump and negative pressure at the inlet of the pump by clamping the tubing upstream of the pump, and to verify whether negative pressure leads to gaseous microemboli (GME) production in a simulated adult extracorporeal life support (ECLS) system. The experimental circuit, including a Maquet Rotaflow centrifugal pump and a Medos Hilite 7000 LT polymethyl-pentene membrane oxygenator, was primed with packed red blood cells (hematocrit 35%). Negative pressure was created in the circuit by clamping the tubing upstream of the pump for 10 s, and then releasing the clamp. An emboli detection and classification quantifier was used to record GME volume and count at pre-oxygenator and post-oxygenator sites, and pressure and flow rate data were collected using a custom-based data acquisition system. All trials were conducted at 36°C at revolution speeds of 2000-4000 rpm (500 rpm increment). The flow rates were 1092.5-4708.4 mL/min at the revolution speeds of 2000-4000 rpm. Higher revolution speed generated higher negative pressure at the pre-pump site when clamping the tubing upstream of the pump (-108.3 ± 0.1 to -462.0 ± 0.5 mm Hg at 2000-4000 rpm). Moreover, higher negative pressure was associated with a larger number and volume of GME at pre-oxygenator site after de-clamp (GME count 10,573 ± 271 at pre-oxygenator site at 4000 rpm). The results showed that there was a potential danger of delivering GME to the patient when clamping pre-pump tubing during ECLS using a centrifugal pump. Our results warrant further clinical studies to investigate this phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Penn State Hershey Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Shigang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Penn State Hershey Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.affiliation: Penn State Hershey Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.affiliation: Public Health and Sciences, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Allen R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kunselman
authors.affiliation: Perfusion Department, Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palanzo
authors.affiliation: Penn State Hershey Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA.|Department of Surgery and Bioengineering, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Akif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ündar
mesh_terms: D003250:Constriction; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D010107:Oxygenators, Membrane; D011312:Pressure; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Adult; Centrifugal pump; Extracorporeal life support; Gaseous microemboli; Negative pressure