Results of a survey of the professional activities of 811 cardiopulmonary perfusionists.

We queried 811 cardiopulmonary perfusionists in North America on the equipment and techniques they currently use for cardiopulmonary bypass, their professional training, and their income structure. Most cardiac surgical teams use one of four types of bubble oxygenators; only 5% use a membrane oxygenator exclusively. More than 80% monitor the activated clotting time during cardiopulmonary bypass, and 61% confirm the adequacy of heparinization with this test before initiating bypass. Most perfusionists surveyed, 507, are hospital salaried; 117 are employed by cardiac surgeons; and 72 have established a fee for service arrangement. In 1980, reported incomes for cardiopulmonary perfusionists ranged between $12,000 and $110,000, with a mean of $25,000. Only 196 respondents (24%) were graduates of accredited training programs in perfusion technology, but 618 (76%) were board certified in cardiovascular perfusion. This study presents an in-depth survey of the present status of perfusion technology, a discipline which has grown up around the practice of cardiac surgery.