The effect of age on cerebral blood flow during hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass

Central blood flow was measured in 20 patients by xenon 133 clearance methodology during nonpulsatile hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass to determine the effect of age on regional cerebral blood flow during these conditions. Measurements of cerebral blood flow at varying perfusion pressures were made in patients arbitrarily divided into two age groups at nearly identical nasopharyngeal temperature, hematocrit value, and carbon dioxide tension and with equal cardiopulmonary bypass flows of 1.6 L/min/m². The range of mean arterial pressure was 30 to 110 mg Hg for group I (≤ 50 years of age) and 20 to 90 mm Hg for group II (≥ 65 years of age). There was no significant difference (p = 0.32) between the mean arterial pressure in group I (54 ± 28 mm Hg) and that in group II (43 ± 21 mm Hg). The range of cerebral blood flow was 14.8 to 29.2 ml/100 gm/min for group I and 13.8 to 37.5 ml/100 gm/min for group II. There was no significant difference (p = 0.37) between the mean cerebral blood flow in group I (21.5 ± 4.6 ml/100 gm/min) and group II (24.3 ± 8.1 ml/100 gm/min). There was a poor correlation between mean arterial pressure and cerebral blood flow in both groups: group I, r = 0.16 (p = 0.67); group II, r = 0.5 (p = 0.12). In 12 patients, a second cerebral blood flow measurements was taken to determine the effect of mean arterial pressure on cerebral blood flow in the individual patient. Changes in mean arterial pressure did not correlate with changes in cerebral blood flow (p < 0.90). We conclude that age does not alter cerebral blood flow and that cerebral blood flow autoregulation is preserved in elderly patients during nonpulsatile hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass.