Temporary cardiopulmonary bypass for the treatment of endotoxic shock

New Zealand white rabbits were employed in the laboratory to evaluate the efficacy of temporary cardiopulmonary bypass in the prevention of pulmonary injury from endotoxin. Partial cardiopulmonary bypass using peripheral cannulation was carried out for 15 minutes after intraarterial administration of E coli endotoxin of LD90 doses. A significantly better long-term (1 month) survival rate of the treated animals (60 per cent) versus the untreated animals (10 per cent) as well as less severe pulmonary changes in those that succumbed after treatment were observed. It would appear that temporary cardiopulmonary bypass by peripheral cannulation warrants further study in the treatment of patients identified early as suffering from otherwise irreversible septicemic shock.