ARTIFICIAL BLOOD AND EXTRACORPOREAL-CIRCULATION (ECC)

To investigate a possible clinical use in ECC of artificial blood (A-B) by means of a stroma free, polymerized and pyridoxylated hemoglobin a feasability study was performed. Group I (5 calves) served as control. Group II (5 calves) received 2000 ml of a mixture of one part AB and one part Ringer's solution, group III (5 calves) 2000 ml of AB as priming solution. Blood samples were taken preoperatively, at 6h, 24h and then weekly up to 1 month. All animals survived and could be weaned from the ventilator immediately after the operation. Total hemoglobin was 10.6 before and 9.5 g/dl 12h after the operation in mean in the group I and 11.5 and 11.9 for group II and III. Aortic mean pressure was increased in group II /III from preoperativly 105/95 mmHg to 124/135 mmHg after the end of cardio pulmonary bypass (CPB).The pulmonary vascular resistance increased in group II/III from 92/52to 214/264 dyn*s*cm-5 in mean. This could not be observed in group I. Pulmonary resistance correlated with the concentration of free plasma hemoglobin.