Solvent Used in Some Life-Saving Medical Equipment May Cause Cardiovascular Side Effects

With so many rapid advancements in medical treatment, it is not surprising that some of the newer technologies come with unforeseen risks. When medical scientists began developing high-tech medical equipment to perform the same functions as vital organs, they required processes where blood is circulated in tubes that are carried outside the body. This process, known as extracorporeal circulation (EC) is a critical component of these life-saving machines, but it comes with its own set of potential dangers.

In some cases, patients experience swelling of major organs, a depression in cardiac output, and cardiac arrhythmia, which has prompted several studies to determine the root causes of these problems and how they might be eliminated. In one study, conducted by the Johns Hopkins research team, a chemical commonly found in IV bags was examined to see if it could possibly play a role.

The chemical in question is actually a solvent called cyclohexanone (CHX), and it has been known to seep into the fluid IV bags during treatment. When researchers at Johns Hopkins administered the same relative dose of CHX in animal studies, they found a similar percentage suffered the same cardiovascular symptoms commonly seen in humans. This groundbreaking study sheds new light on the dangers commonly associated with EC treatment, and may result in follow up studies that examine other medical equipment where CHX is used. In addition to IV and EC bags, Cyclohexanone is found in PVC devices and the tubing through which intravenous fluids flow. Even if other potential dangers are discovered, the risk for EC patients is far greater because their entire blood volume is continuously circulating through tubing that has been treated with CHX.

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