Bloodless Arterial Switch Operation in a 2.7-kg Jehovah's Witness Patient.

Bloodless pediatric cardiac surgery requiring the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) remains a challenge for the entire operating room (OR) team. The amount of circulating blood volume to pump prime volume mismatch of small patients results in hemodilution that frequently results in transfusion of allogeneic blood products. Patients of families of the Jehovah's Witness (JW) faith reject the use of these products because of religious beliefs.

The Impact of Three Different Wash Solutions on Autotransfusion Products.

Many blood conservation techniques and strategies have been implemented to aid in decreasing the use of allogenic blood utilization during pediatric cardiothoracic surgery. Use of techniques, such as acute normovolemic hemodilution, retrograde autologous prime, venous autologous prime, and autotransfuion, may lead to a decrease in the need for allogenic blood products. Autotransfusion has become a standard of care for all cardiothoracic surgical procedures requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Albumin priming improves the efficiency of the Minntech HPH Jr. hemoconcentrator.

The desired use of the HPH Jr. is optimal due to the low priming volume; however, the lower rate of volume removal necessitates utilization of a larger hemofilter. Larger hemofilters carry a higher prime volume, which is impactful in the pediatric setting.

Bloodless Repair for a 3.6 Kilogram Transposition of the Great Arteries with Jehovah's Witness Faith.

Achieving pediatric cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) without allogeneic blood transfusion is challenging. There are many clinical and economic factors that point to the importance of avoiding blood transfusions. In some instances, honoring patients or parents beliefs may be the reason for avoiding blood transfusions.

Bloodless pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass for a 3.2-kg patient whose parents are of Jehovah's Witness faith.

Patients and parents of Jehovah's Witness (JW) faith present multiple challenges to a medical team, especially in the neonatal and pediatric population. The medical team must balance honoring the parents' request of not receiving blood products and fulfilling our commitment as advocates for the child's wellbeing. A multidisciplinary approach to cardiac surgery must be embraced for bloodless cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) to be successful.

Modified surface coatings and their effect on drug adsorption within the extracorporeal life support circuit.

A recently completed study quantified the percent of fentanyl or morphine sulfate lost to uncoated polyvinylchloride (PVC) tubing or to one of two hollow fiber oxygenators within the extracorporeal life support (ECLS) circuit. The results demonstrated the majority of drug loss was due to adsorption by the PVC tubing. The purpose of this study was to determine if a tubing coating process affects fentanyl or morphine Sulfate adsorption.