COMPARISON OF CENTRIFUGAL AND ROLLER-PUMP HEMOLYSIS RATES AT LOW-FLOW

We compared in vitro rates of hemolysis for a recently developed centr ifugal pump with a conventional roller pump (10-10-00; Stackert, Munic h, Germany). Flow rates of 0.3 L/min and 1 L/min and a pressure of 200 mm Hg were chosen to simulate conditions during neonatal extracorpore al membrane oxygenation (ECMO). There was no significant difference in hemolysis rates between centrifugal and roller pumps (p = 0.57) nor b etween high and low flow (p = 0.86). The centrifugal pump caused no mo re blood trauma than the roller pump at the low-flow/high-pressure con ditions required for neonatal ECMO. The Nikkiso pump is superior to ro ller pumps in size and priming volume (25 ml) and may permit developme nt of a smaller and simpler ECMO system.