Clinical evaluation of the LeukoGuard (LG-6) arterial line filter for routine open-heart surgery

Research has demonstrated that leucocyte depletion diminishes the deleterious effects that activated neutrophils have on the body following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). A clinical evaluation involving 36 patients (18 in each group) was conducted to compare the use of the Pall LG-6 (leucocyte-depleting) arterial line filter with the Pall EC PLUS filter for postoperative complications and lung function on routine open-heart cases. No differences were found between the groups for postoperative chest tube drainage, urine output, on bypass platelet drop, chest X-rays, blood usage and circulating elastase levels. Statistically significant differences were observed between immediately post-CPB pO 2 values and ventilator hours (EC PLUS = 13.3, LG-6 = 9.2). Many of the advantages of using leucocyte depletion that have been illustrated through experimental investigations were comparable to our clinical observations. We conclude that using the LG-6 leucocyte-depleting arterial line filter is a cost-effective method to reduce the complications known as 'postperfusion' syndrome.