Joe Basha's PerfWeb #100 —Day 1 — Essential Techniques in Perfusion - RAPP and Hgb Thresholds — Perfusion

The PerfWeb Podcast

RAPP (Retrograde Autologous Prime) Presenter: Samir Patel, MD, Graduate Perfusionist Time: 14:00–15:00 Back when I started in perfusion, priming the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit meant dumping in crystalloid and hoping the patient wouldn’t drown in fluid overload. Then RAPP—Retrograde Autologous Prime—came along and flipped the script. In this session, Dr. Samir Patel, a skilled graduate perfusionist, dives into this game-changing technique that uses the patient’s own blood to prime the circuit, slashing hemodilution and preserving hematocrit. Dr. Patel will walk you through the nuts and bolts: draining venous blood, displacing crystalloid, and reinfusing—all while keeping the patient stable. I’ll share a standout case where RAPP saved the day for a Jehovah’s Witness patient who refused transfusions—proof of its worth. You’ll master cannula placement, pressure control, and timing, plus learn how RAPP cuts transfusion rates and post-op complications. Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran, this lecture will sharpen your skills and show why RAPP’s a must-have in my toolkit Hgb Thresholds Presenter: Samir Patel, MD, Graduate Perfusionist Time: 15:00–16:00 Hemoglobin thresholds have sparked debates for decades. Early in my career, an Hgb below 10 meant grabbing a blood bag—no questions asked. Today, we’re wiser, and the evidence is richer. Dr. Samir Patel tackles this in a session that’s all about balancing oxygen delivery with transfusion risks. He’ll unpack the science of Hgb levels and tissue perfusion, diving into trials and guidelines that shape when we pull the transfusion trigger. I’ll throw in a story of a mid-case Hgb drop to 7, where split-second decisions tested our team. We’ll cover special cases—kids, the elderly, complex patients—and the risks of over- or under-transfusing. This is vital for perfusionists, surgeons, and ICU crews who live these choices daily. Walk away with a sharper eye for Hgb management, backed by Dr. Patel’s expertise and my decades of real-time lessons.