Abstract
Twelve consecutive patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery were perfused with the Cobe Optima hollow fibre oxygenator. Gas transfer characteristics and blood handling were studied. The device had a maximum oxygen transfer of 315 ml/minute. The average shunt fraction was 4.5%, and was not influenced by blood-flow rate. Mean platelet count declined slightly to 91 % of the baseline at the end of the study period. Haemolysis was evaluated by monitoring serum-free haemoglobin, serum haptoglobin and serum haemopexin. The evolution was as follows: free haemoglobin increased from 14 ± 5 mg/100 ml to 85 ± 0.8/100 ml (p = 0.01) at the end of bypass; haptoglobin decreased from 1.33 ± 0.90 g/l to 0.89 ± 0.15 g/l (p = 0.01); and haemopexin decreased from 0.84 ± 0.13 g/I to 0.74 ± 0.15 g/l (p = nonsignificant). In all patients the residual capacity of serum haptoglobin to protect against haemolysis was satisfactory. All patients had an uneventful postoperative course.
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