Strategies to minimize the usage of homologous blood during cardiopulmonary bypass in children weighting less than 20 kg operated for congenital heart disease

Background: Both severities of cardiac surgery and technical features of extracorporeal circulation circuit demand blood transfusion from donors, which involves a number of risks for the patient, especially with the low body weight. "Priming" of the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit with patients' own blood [retrograde autologous priming (RAP)] is a technique used to limit haemodilution and reduce transfusion requirements.