Artificial blood and extracorporeal circulation (ECC).

To investigate a possible clinical use in ECC of artificial blood (AB) by means of a stroma free, polymerized and pyridoxylated hemoglobin a feasibility 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 6 h, 24 h 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 12 h 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 preoperatively 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 92/52 to 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.