Hypotension With Initiation Of Cardiopulmonary Bypass
Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuits are typically primed with ~1500 cc of volume (crystalloid, colloid, and/or blood). Thus, if a 70-kilogram male (~5-liter blood volume) is placed on CPB, one would expect his hematocrit to drop by 30-40% (hemodilution) with a subsequent decrease in systemic vascular resistance (SVR) – the primary mechanism…