Summary

Background and objective: To determine the minimal oxygen delivery and pump flow that can maintain systemic oxygen uptake during normothermic (37°C) pulsatile and non-pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass in dogs. Methods: Eighteen anaesthetized dogs were randomly assigned to receive either non-pulsatile (Group C; n = 9) or pulsatile bypass flow (Group P; n = 9). Oxygen delivery was reduced by a progressive decrease in pump flow, while arterial oxygen content was maintained constant. In each animal, critical oxygen delivery was determined from plots of oxygen uptake vs. oxygen delivery and from plots of blood lactate vs. oxygen delivery using a least sum of squares technique. Critical pump flow was determined from plots of lactate vs. pump flow. Results: At the critical point, oxygen delivery obtained from oxygen uptake was 7.7 ± 1.1 mL min−1 kg−1 in Group C and 6.8 ± 1.8 mL min−1 kg−1 in Group P (n.s.). These values were similar to those obtained from lactate measurements (Group C: 7.8 ± 1.6 mL min−1 kg−1; Group P: 7.6 ± 2.0 mL min−1 kg−1). Critical pump flows determined from lactate measurements were 55.6 ± 13.8 mL min−1 kg−1 in Group C and 60.8 ± 13.9 mL min−1 kg−1 in Group P (n.s.). Conclusions: Oxygen delivery values greater than 7–8 mL min−1 kg−1 were required to maintain oxygen uptake during normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass with either pulsatile or non-pulsatile blood flow. Elevation of blood lactate levels during bypass helps to identify inadequate tissue oxygen delivery related to insufficient pump flow.