Temperature monitoring during cardiopulmonary bypass--do we undercool or overheat the brain?

Objective: Brain cooling is an essential component of aortic surgery requiring circulatory arrest and inadequate cooling may lead to brain injury. Similarly, brain hyperthermia during the rewarming phase of cardiopulmonary bypass may also lead to neurological injury. Conventional temperature monitoring sites may not reflect the core brain temperature (Tdegrees).

Differential brain and body temperature during cardiopulmonary bypass--a randomised clinical study.

Objective: Maintenance of normothermia during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) may have advantages over hypothermia but there is a potential increased hazard of neurological injury. A novel aortic cannula (Cobra catheter, Cardeon Corp., Cupertino, CA, USA) which compartmentalises the aorta may allow simultaneous brain cooling during maintained corporeal normothermia.