High Flow Rates During Modified Ultrafiltration Decrease Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity and Venous Oxygen Saturation in Infants

Background The intracranial hemodynamic effects of modified ultrafiltration in children are unknown. We investigated the effects of different blood flow rates during modified ultrafiltration on the cerebral hemodynamics of children with weights above and below 10 kg. Methods Thirty-one children (weights: ≤ 10 kg, n = 21; > 10 kg, n = 10) undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass were studied. Middle-cerebral artery blood flow velocities and cerebral mixed venous oxygen saturations were measured before, five minutes from the beginning, and at the end of ultrafiltration. Patients were classified according to their blood flow rates during ultrafiltration in three groups: high (≥ 20 mL/kg/min), moderate (10–19 mL/kg/min), and low flow rates (< 10 mL/kg/min). Results During modified ultrafiltration, blood pressures and hematocrit increased (p< 0.001), but cerebral blood flow velocities and mixed venous oxygen saturations decreased (p< 0.001). A significant correlation was found between blood flow rates of ultrafiltration and the decline in mean cerebral blood flow velocity (r = – 0.48; p = 0.005) and cerebral oxygen saturation (r = – 0.49; p = 0.005) or hematocrit increase (r = 0.59; p = 0.001). Infants exposed to high flow rates had greater reduction of cerebral blood flow velocity and regional mixed venous saturation and higher hematocrit at the end of ultrafiltration compared with those subjected to moderate and low flow rates (p< 0.04). No significant difference was found between moderate and low flow groups. The flow rate of ultrafiltration was the only independent predictor of the changes in cerebral mixed venous oxygen saturation (p = 0.033). Conclusions High blood flow rates through the ultrafilter during modified ultrafiltration transiently decrease the cerebral circulation in young infants compared with lower blood flow rates. These effects may be related to an increased diastolic runoff from the aorta into the ultrafiltration circuit that leads to a “stealing” effect from the intracranial circulation, which may be important in infants with dysfunctional cerebral autoregulation.