New membrane oxygenator (LPM 50): influence on extravascular lung water and pulmonary function in comparison to...

A prospective, randomized, clinical study involving 30 patients undergoing aorta-coronary bypass grafting was designed to compare the influence of a new membrane oxygenator and a commonly used bubble oxygenator on extravascular lung water and pulmonary function after extracorporeal circulation. Although membrane oxygenators might have some advantages from the biochemical and biophysical points of view, in this clinical study no differences in lung water accumulation and pulmonary gas exchange could be detected between bubble and membrane oxygenators after extracorporeal circulation.