Neuroprotective effects of erythropoietin during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.

Objective: Permanent mild-to-severe brain injury with neurologic sequelae remains a significant source of postoperative morbidity in cardiovascular surgery. There is increasing evidence that erythropoietin confers neuroprotective effects in various conditions of neuronal damage, such as hypoxia and cerebral ischaemia. Using a surviving porcine model, this study evaluates whether systemic treatment with erythropoietin induces brain protection in deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA).