ARTERIAL-VENOUS BRIDGE ON CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS

An arterial venous bridge has been routinely interspaced between the a rterial and the venous lines of the pump circuit during cardiopulmonar y bypass at our institution for over 25 years. We have found it to be extremely useful in certain situations: (1) prepump priming and equipm ent failure; (2) recirculation of pump prime for fast cooling or rewar ming; (3) shunting following valve surgery; (4) venous transfusion, re trograde cerebral perfusion during circulatory arrest, rapid initiatio n of retrograde perfusion in case of massive air embolism; and (5) ult rafiltration in patients with renal insufficiency.