[Routine clinical use of a new disposable bubble oxygenator: a comparative study (author's transl)]

The new bubble Oxybel oxygenator (Bellco Laboratories) has been used for routine clinical perfusions in this Institution. A comparison has been made between two groups of 51 patients each, one group perfused with on Oxybel oxygenator (OXY) and the other with the Harvey H 1000 oxygenator (H-H). Among these patients a wide range of acquired and congenital cardiac lesions have been encountered. Both series were comparable for patients' age, sex distribution, body weight, procedures performed, perfusion time and preoperative values of hematocrit, serum creatinine, platelet count, plasma hemoglobin. The gas/blood flow ratio was 2.09 +/- 0.07 (+/- SE) for the H-H oxygenator and 1.38 +/- 0.06 for the OXY series (P < 0.001). Serum-creatinine 24-hrs postoperative values (mg/100 ml) were 1.58 +/- 0.17 for the H-H and 1.30 +/- 0.06 for the OXY series (NS); 48-hrs postoperative values were 1.28 +/- 0.11 for the H-H and 1.20 +/- 0.11 for the OXY (NS). The 60 minutes postoperative platelet count was 127.9 +/- 7 X 10(3) for the H-H and 120.9 +/- 6 X 10(3) for the OXY series (NS). Fourtyeight-hrs postoperative platelet count was 153.0 +/- 5 X 10(3) for the H-H and 151.8 +/- 6 X 10(3) for the OXY series (NS). Postoperative plasma hemoglobin values (mg/100 ml) were 91.55 +/- 7.18 for H-H and 117 +/- 17.8 for the OXY series (NS). Total postoperative bleeding was 1037.9 +/- 94 ml in the H-H and 1056.7 +/- 98.9 ml in the OXY series (NS). The more favorable gas/blood flow ratio observed with the Oxybel oxygenator did not affect clinical and haematologic results. These were comparable in both series.