Goal Directed

What Are the Minimal Criteria of Goal-Directed Perfusion (GDP) in Adult Cardiac Surgery?

The goal-directed perfusion (GDP) strategy is increasingly adopted in cardiac surgery to maintain optimal perfusion, improving patient outcomes by serving as a quality control tool for monitoring the practice of perfusionists and the use of equipment and disposables. It emphasizes intensive monitoring of respiratory-related parameters, optimal flow, and management of intraoperative parameters to protect end-organ function and enhance surgical outcomes, with the findings advocating for its superiority over traditional perfusion strategies and highlighting the importance of developing protocols within international guidelines.

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Perfusion Education

How to Become a Perfusionist in the United States

Perfusionists are specialized healthcare professionals trained in operating heart-lung machines during open-heart surgeries and various auxiliary devices. Their education involves diverse pathways, including undergraduate courses in sciences, post-baccalaureate certificates, and master’s degrees, all leading to eligibility for certification and consistent job opportunities across different educational levels.

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PerfusionGPT

PerfusionGPT Beta Launched on iPerfusion.org

PerfusionGPT is an AI-powered chatbot based on ChatGPT-4, specifically designed to provide expert knowledge for perfusionists in cardiac surgery. It serves as a critical resource for both clinical decision-making and educational purposes in the field of perfusion.

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Donation Request

Empower a Heart, Save a Life: The Honduras Open Heart Surgery Initiative

Since 2019, a global health initiative in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, has been empowering local healthcare professionals to perform essential open heart surgeries, crucial in a country where such medical care is rare and desperately needed. Facing challenges like the high cost of surgeries against the backdrop of low average incomes, the program aims to develop local expertise while contending with economic barriers, and in 2024, it plans an ambitious mission with teams from Duke and Harvard, seeking contributions to continue saving lives and enhancing cardiac care in Honduras.

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Simpson Transfusion

Effects of Albumin and Crystalloid Priming Strategies on Red Blood Cell Transfusions in On-Pump Cardiac Surgery: A Network Meta-Analysis

In on-pump cardiac surgery, a network meta-analysis revealed that crystalloid priming strategies are associated with fewer perioperative red blood cell (RBC) transfusions compared to albumin priming, although the difference in postoperative blood loss between the two was not statistically significant. The study suggests that while albumin priming might reduce postoperative blood loss, its use leads to more RBC transfusions and a higher blood management burden, indicating the need for careful consideration of its application in this context.

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Heart Transplantation

Donor Heart Preservation: Current Knowledge and the New Era of Machine Perfusion

Heart transplantation traditionally employs static cold storage for donor preservation, but this method carries a risk of early graft dysfunction due to ischemic and reperfusion injury. Emerging preservation techniques, such as hypothermic or normothermic machine perfusion, offer the promise of improved graft protection, the ability to repair organs, and the evaluation of graft function prior to transplantation, potentially expanding the donor pool with the aid of new pharmacological treatments.

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Simpsons OR 2

Mastering the Best Practices: A Comprehensive Look at the European Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Adult Cardiac Surgery

The European guidelines, developed collaboratively by EACTS, EACTA, and EBCP, address the critical role of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) management in cardiac surgery, encompassing training of clinical perfusionists, CPB procedures, and anticoagulation to improve patient outcomes. These comprehensive guidelines aim to standardize CPB practices across Europe, based on evidence and best practices, to reduce CPB-related complications and enhance the quality of life for patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

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Elderly Patient CPB

Risk Factors and Short-Term Outcomes of Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in Elderly Patients After Cardiopulmonary Bypass

This study on elderly patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) found a high incidence (56.82%) of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), identifying low serum albumin levels, specific types of surgery, prolonged CPB, blood transfusion, and pre-extubation intra-aortic balloon pump use as significant risk factors. These PPCs led to longer mechanical ventilation, extended hospital and ICU stays, increased mortality, and higher tracheotomy rates, highlighting the importance of recognizing these risk factors for better perioperative prevention in elderly CPB patients.

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LivaNova News

LivaNova to Wind Down Advanced Circulatory Support Business Unit

LivaNova PLC announced the strategic wind down of its Advanced Circulatory Support (ACS) Business Unit to focus on its core Cardiopulmonary and Neuromodulation units, with a complete transition expected by end of 2024. The company will integrate select ACS cannulae products into its Cardiopulmonary unit, while anticipating a positive impact on its 2024 operating income, despite expected restructuring charges.

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