Lab: Introduction to Hemoperfusion

Presentation Description / Summary: Hemoperfusion is an extracorporeal technique designed to remove medium sized and protein bound substances from the bloodstream via adsorption. Hemoperfusion utilizes adsorptive filters made out of charcoal or polymer beads that non-selectively attract and bind substances. Currently, this technique is mainly used in veterinary medicine for the emergent removal of toxic substances from the blood stream such as NSAIDs like carprofen but have other potential applications such as bilirubin and cytokine adsorption. This hands-on lab will have multiple components and stations including both lecture based, demonstration, and hands on learning with the goal to provide an introduction on how to provide hemoperfusion to patients. The lecture based components will describe the indications for hemoperfusion, the substances in which hemoperfusion blood purification can be utilized, and discuss how to prescribe the hemoperrfusion treatment as well as the anticoagulation techniques provided. The hands-on component will provide an opportunity for participants to watch and perform jugular catheter placement and both set up and use a stand alone hemoperfusion blood pump.