Use of perftoran emulsion to decrease allogeneic blood transfusion in cardiac surgery: clinical trial.

Perflurocarbon emulsions (PFC) have the capacity of transporting oxygen through the bloodstream and may be safe and effective alternatives to allogeneic blood transfusions during surgical procedures. Perftoran was the PFC used in a randomized clinical trial conducted at Hospital de Especialidades Centro Medico La Raza, Mexico City. The clinical trial took a sample group, n = 30, of patients that were scheduled for elective cardiac valvuloplasty surgery in combination with preoperative acute normovolemic hemodilution and an inspiratory oxygen fraction (FI02) of 1.0. The participants were randomly divided into a Control group (n = 15) and a Perftoran (PFC) group (n = 15). The PFC group had significantly higher intraoperative PaO2 levels and needed less allogeneic red blood cell packs than the Control group. There were no complications or deaths in either group. These results suggest that Perftoran is safe, efficacious, and reduces the need for allogeneic blood and blood derivatives in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.