Conventional Ultrafiltration During Elective Cardiac Surgery and Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury.

Objective: Conventional ultrafiltration (CUF) during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) serves to hemoconcentrate blood volume to avoid allogeneic blood transfusions. Previous studies have determined CUF volumes as a continuous variable are associated with postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery, but optimal weight-indexed volumes that predict AKI have not been described.

Design: Retrospective cohort.

An isolated working heart system for large animal models.

Since its introduction in the late 19(th) century, the Langendorff isolated heart perfusion apparatus, and the subsequent development of the working heart model, have been invaluable tools for studying cardiovascular function and disease(1-15). Although the Langendorff heart preparation can be used for any mammalian heart, most studies involving this apparatus use small animal models (e.g.

Reduced use of allogeneic platelets through high-yield perioperative autologous plateletpheresis and reinfusion.

Background: Intraoperative autologous platelet (PLT) collection as part of a multimodal blood conservation program carries a Class IIa recommendation from the Societies of Thoracic Surgeons and Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, but achieving a suitable PLT yield limits its application. A novel, autologous, intraoperative, high-yield plateletpheresis collection program was established and retrospectively analyzed to identify potential improvements over previously reported plateletpheresis protocols.

Study Design And M-ethods: Targeting complex cardiothoracic surgery patients without recent anti-PLT agents, thrombocytopenia, or severe anemia, the program aimed to achieve a PLT yield of at least one standard apheresis unit (3.