RESUMO
In recent years, there has been a trend to incorporate arterial filters into cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) oxygenators. The FX oxygenators are the first examples of integrating a filter around the fibers of the oxygenator. To assess the efficacy of the FX05 oxygenator, in comparison with our existing CPB setup (RX05 oxygenator + arterial filter), we randomly assigned 40 patients undergoing CPB, with calculated flows <1.5 L/min, to FX05 or RX05 + arterial filter (19 FX and 21 RX). Embolic load was assessed using the emboli detection and classification quantifier, with sensors placed prefilter and postfilter/oxygenator at identical distances for both devices. A total of 6,270 FX readings and 6,183 RX readings were obtained. Because of the extremely skewed nature of the data, the prefilter embolic volumes were divided into deciles, and each decile was analyzed separately. Our results show that the devices perform similarly; both filter out a high percentage of the prefilter embolic load. Our data support that in the clinical setting, the FX05 is as effective at removing emboli as the RX05 with an arterial filter (CXAF02) which, in conjunction with the prime volume reduction and circuit simplification, has warranted our conversion to the FX series of oxygenators.
