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Gaseous microemboli: sources, causes, and clinical considerations.
Medical Instrumentation
|March 1, 1985
Summary
Gaseous microemboli (GME) during open-heart surgery can impede blood flow and oxygen delivery. This review examines GME causes and recommends strategies to minimize these risks during cardiopulmonary bypass.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Biomedical Engineering
- Anesthesiology
Background:
- Patients undergoing open-heart surgery face exposure to gaseous microemboli (GME).
- Bubble oxygenators, common in cardiopulmonary bypass, are a significant source of GME.
- High GME concentrations can compromise tissue oxygenation and contribute to post-bypass complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define GME and explore their causes during cardiopulmonary bypass.
- To review existing literature on GME over the past 30 years.
- To recommend methods for reducing GME and discuss current considerations.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on GME in cardiopulmonary bypass over 30 years.
- Examination of GME sources, particularly bubble oxygenators.
- Analysis of the impact of GME on blood flow and tissue oxygenation.
Main Results:
- GME are a known risk factor in open-heart surgery, potentially causing complications.
- Bubble oxygenators are identified as a primary source of GME during cardiopulmonary bypass.
- The review synthesizes data on GME formation and its physiological effects.
Conclusions:
- Reducing GME during cardiopulmonary bypass is crucial for patient outcomes.
- Further research is needed to address unanswered questions regarding GME management.
- Recommendations are provided for minimizing GME exposure in clinical practice.