Technique

Simplified Solution to Eliminating Electrical Noise During Cardiac Surgery

Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and the Joint Program in Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington

^* Address correspondence to: Nicklett Johnston, RN, CCP, Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75235-8879

Abstract

Electrical noise will be present in the operating room even under ideal circumstances. The addition of the cardiopulmonary bypass machine to the other machinery in the operating room introduces one more source of electrical noise. Identifying and managing this interference may aid in reducing artifactual signals on the electrocardiogram (EKG) monitor.

If electrical interference occurs during the onset of cardiopulmonary bypass, an uninterpretable rhythm pattern on the electrocardiogram monitor may be present.

Adding an extra ground from the main pump head to the heater/cooler helps to reduce noise and, therefore, effectively diminishes pump-generated artifact on the EKG.