Administration of microaggregate filtered blood using a manual infusion pump.

Administration sets containing in-line plastic blood pumps are commonly used to transfuse blood. Flow rates were measured while six units of whole blood and red blood cells were infused through a blood pump administration set coupled to either a large pore 260-micron filter or a 20-micron microaggregate blood filter. Using the same type of blood pump administration system and three units of whole blood, the flow rates achieved by the currently available microaggregate blood filters were compared. Results showed that despite a smaller pore size the 20-micron microaggregate blood filter achieved flow rates that were faster than or equal to those recorded for the larger pore (260-micron) filter. This was attributed to the larger filtration surface area possessed by the smaller pore filter, 140 cm2 versus only 30 cm2 for the 260-micron filter. All of the microaggregate filters studied were able to filter three units of whole blood at flow rates in excess of 80 ml/minute. There was no evidence of blood pump induced hemolysis. We concluded that a manual infusion pump can be used to transfuse microaggregate filtered blood rapidly enough to be acceptable for routine clinical or intraoperative use.