title: A Novel Method to Detect an Oxygenator Defect Prior to Cardiopulmonary Bypass Initiation.
abstract: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is a common practice in our era. The medical technology used for cardiac surgery goes through rigorous testing to ensure its safety. Unfortunately, it is not fail proof. Oxygenator failures are a rare occurrence but may lead to catastrophic events. We present a case where the preparation for initiating CPB was complicated by an oxygenator defect. After thorough examination, the oxygenator was found leaking from the gas exhaust port suggesting a disruption in continuity of the fibers. This was found by the vigilance of the perfusionist and a creative method to quickly assess the integrity of the oxygenation device. We describe a simple technique to help diagnose an oxygenator leak.
authors.affiliation: Perfusion Services, Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, Canada.
authors.forename: Armindo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Perfusion Services, Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, Canada.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Laliberte
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Hoôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toledano
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, Canada.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Demers
mesh_terms: D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004868:Equipment Failure; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004869:Equipment Safety / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010106:Oxygenators
keywords: cardiopulmonary bypass; equipment; oxygenator failure; quality assurance; safety