[Electrocardiography and central venous pressure during exchange transfusion]

Electrocardiographic and central venous pressure (CVP) records were taken during 30 exchange transfusions practiced to 26 newborns. The technique of two vessels was employed in 26 cases. Operations lasted 84.8 minutes as an average. There was only one death and the transfusion was discontinued in another case because of clinical aggravation and many disorders in the ECG. These disorders reached 40% of the cases with marked predominance of hypocalcemia which appeared as "initial" in three babies with previous history of transfusion. CVP was usually higher than reported for normal newborns and was equal to values found in a similar group of isoimmuned infants. It was high in seven cases, out of which, four complained of severe hemolytic disease and obviously, of anemia. Initial removal of 10 to 20 ml. of blood in these cases, allowed a drop of 3 to 4 cm. of H2O in CVP and its further maintenance at stable levels.