Physiological profile during venovenous perfusion in dogs using a polypropylene membrane lung with secondary flows

Venovenous perfusion has been conducted in 12 healthy dogs to examine carbon dioxide (CO2) transfer and haemocompatibility over 9 h during total extracorporeal CO2 removal using a microporous polypropylene membrane lung with secondary flows in the blood channel. The anaesthetized animals were maintained normocapnic by including CO2 in the inspired gases. The CO2 removal was achieved using 0.631 m2 of active membrane, at a pulsatile Reynolds number of 50, and a CO2 extraction from blood of 17.8 ml (STP) dl-1. Gas exchange remained constant during the perfusions. Several aspects of our results suggest that the haemocompatibility of a system of the kind used here is at least as favourable as that of a steady flow device using a continuous silicone rubber membrane of equivalent gas transfer capability.