What's New in Cardiopulmonary Bypass

This is a narrative review of recent articles (mainly published in 2017 and 2018) related to the conduct of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) that should be of interest to the cardiac anesthesiologist. Some of the topics covered include recent guidelines on temperature management, anticoagulation, perfusion practice, use of transesophageal echocardiography during CPB, optimal mean arterial pressure, vasoplegia, bleeding, perioperative anemia, post-cardiac surgery transfusion, acute kidney injury, delirium and cognitive decline, CPB during pregnancy, lung management, radial-to-femoral artery pressure gradients during CPB, prophylactic perioperative intra-aortic balloon pump, del Nido cardioplegia, antibiotic prophylaxis, and use of levosimendan in cardiac surgery. The review concludes with a perspective on the effect of these development on the practice of cardiac anesthesia.