Lesson 1Circuit assembly and priming setup: identifying ports, connectors, venous/arterial lines, cardioplegia line integrationExplains systematic circuit assembly and priming setup, including identification of ports, connectors, venous and arterial limbs, and cardioplegia integration, with strategies to avoid misconnections, air trapping, and flow restrictions.
Mapping venous and arterial line pathsIdentifying ports, connectors, and shuntsCardioplegia line routing and safetyStrategies to prevent misconnectionsAir management during initial primingLesson 2Priming solutions selection and calculation: formulae to calculate crystalloid/colloid volumes, blood prime thresholds, strategies to limit haemodilutionCovers selection and calculation of priming solutions, including crystalloid and colloid volumes, blood prime thresholds, and methods to limit haemodilution, with worked examples and adjustments for different patient profiles.
Estimating circuit volume and target haematocritCrystalloid versus colloid prime choicesBlood prime indications and thresholdsFormulae to limit haemodilutionWorked calculation examples by weightLesson 3Patient-specific priming considerations: adjusting prime for weight, BSA, haematocrit, renal risk, and COPDAddresses tailoring prime and circuit strategy to patient factors such as weight, body surface area, baseline haematocrit, renal risk, and COPD, balancing viscosity, oxygen delivery, and fluid load to optimise outcomes.
Adjusting prime for weight and BSATarget haematocrit by comorbidity profileRenal risk and fluid balance planningStrategies for COPD and lung protectionUltrafiltration and haemoconcentration useLesson 4Pre-bypass functional checks: leak tests, bubble detectors, pressure monitors, emergency stop, pump occlusion, oxygenator integrityDescribes essential pre-bypass functional checks of the CPB circuit, including leak testing, bubble detector function, pressure monitoring, emergency stop, pump occlusion, and oxygenator integrity, with troubleshooting steps for failures.
Static and dynamic leak testingBubble detector placement and testingPressure transducer zeroing and alarmsPump occlusion and emergency stop testsOxygenator integrity and gas path checksLesson 5Documentation and team communication checklist before cannulationOutlines structured documentation and communication steps before cannulation, including checklists, role confirmation, timeout elements, anticipated events, and contingency plans to ensure shared mental models and patient safety.
Pre-bypass checklist completionConfirming roles and responsibilitiesVerbalising cannulation strategyDiscussing anticipated complicationsDocumenting baseline status and consentsLesson 6Infection control and sterile field coordination at cannulation siteFocuses on infection prevention and sterile workflow at the cannulation site, including sterile field setup, equipment positioning, traffic control, and coordination between perfusionist, surgeon, and nursing staff to reduce contamination risk.
Sterile field layout and boundariesPerfusionist interaction with sterile teamHandling of cannulas and tubing endsManaging line contamination eventsDocumentation of infection control stepsLesson 7Medication and consumable checks: heparin, protamine, vasopressors, inotropes, blood products, antifibrinolytics, filters and oxygenator spare partsCovers systematic verification of medications and consumables before bypass, including anticoagulants, vasoactive drugs, blood products, antifibrinolytics, filters, and critical spare parts, with labelling, storage, and cross-check procedures.
Heparin dosing, labelling, and availabilityProtamine preparation and backup plansVasopressors and inotropes readinessBlood products and antifibrinolytics setupFilters, oxygenator, and key spare partsLesson 8Monitoring setup verification: arterial lines, central venous/Mixed venous monitoring, temperature probes, cerebral oximetry, ACT point-of-care deviceDetails verification of monitoring systems before bypass, including arterial and central venous lines, mixed venous sampling, temperature probes, cerebral oximetry, and ACT devices, ensuring accurate calibration, alarms, and documentation.
Arterial pressure line calibrationCentral and mixed venous monitoring setupTemperature probe placement and checksCerebral oximetry positioning and baselinesACT device quality control and loggingLesson 9CPB machine components: roller pump vs centrifugal, membrane oxygenator types, reservoirs, tubing materialsReviews major CPB machine components, comparing roller and centrifugal pumps, membrane oxygenator designs, reservoirs, and tubing materials, with emphasis on haemodynamic performance, safety features, and clinical selection criteria.
Roller versus centrifugal pump mechanicsMembrane oxygenator structure and functionHard-shell versus soft-shell reservoirsTubing materials and biocompatibilityComponent selection for high-risk patients
