Key result
Bio-Medicus pump resists retrograde flow at low speeds better than CentriMag in laboratory models.
Why the study?
Retrograde pump flow during extracorporeal life support with centrifugal blood pumps occurs below a critical pump speed influenced by circuit resistance and pump characteristics, requiring evaluation.
Does the type of centrifugal blood pump affect the occurrence of retrograde flow at low revolution speeds in a pediatric extracorporeal life support model?
Does the type of centrifugal blood pump affect the occurrence of retrograde flow at low revolution speeds in a pediatric extracorporeal life support model?
In a pediatric ECLS laboratory model, the Bio-Medicus pump demonstrated the highest antegrade flow and least retrograde flow at low speeds compared to Rotaflow and CentriMag pumps.
Requires vigilance for retrograde flow at low pump speeds during ECLS; laboratory data leaves open clinical validation for these pumps.
During extracorporeal life support with centrifugal blood pumps, retrograde pump flow may occur when the pump revolutions decrease below a critical value determined by the circuit resistance and the characteristics of the pump. We created a laboratory model to evaluate the occurrence of retrograde flow in each of three centrifugal blood pumps: the Rotaflow, the CentriMag, and the Bio-Medicus BP-50. At simulated patient pressures of 60, 80, and 100 mmHg, each pump was evaluated at speeds from 1000 to 2200 rpm and flow rates were measured. Retrograde flow occurred at low revolution speeds in all three centrifugal pumps. The Bio-Medicus pump was the least likely to demonstrate retrograde flow at low speeds, followed by the Rotaflow pump. The CentriMag pump showed the earliest transition to retrograde flow, as well as the highest degree of retrograde flow. At every pump speed evaluated, the Bio-Medicus pump delivered the highest antegrade flow and the CentriMag pump delivered the least.
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Clark et al. (2011) studied Pediatric extracorporeal life support (simulated). Centrifugal blood pumps (Rotaflow, CentriMag, Bio-Medicus BP-50) was evaluated on Occurrence of retrograde flow and flow rates. In a laboratory model, the Bio-Medicus pump was the least likely to demonstrate retrograde flow at low speeds, while the CentriMag pump showed the earliest transition to retrograde flow.