Use of Fluosol-DA during open-heart surgery

Cardiopulmonary bypass using a nonpulsatile pumping system and a bubble oxygenator was employed for one hour followed by one hour of recovery in nine pigs using Fluosol as the priming agent for the bypass pump. Gas exchange was found to be adequate with only a minimal decrease in arterial oxygen content and no increase in arterial CO2 content during bypass. Whole body oxygen consumption decreased slightly during bypass, which was felt to be secondary to a less than ideal blood flow of 90-100 ml/kg/min. Higher blood flows were not feasible in our animal model without significant volume expansion during perfusion. Hemodynamic data documented a significant decrease in arterial pressures and an increase in pulmonary artery pressures during the recovery phase. This was associated with a marked increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and was felt to be secondary to pulmonary congestion, the pathogenesis of which is not fully understood.