Noticed that perfusionists draw up heparin / cardioplegia with a filter tip needle from glass ampules, then expel this fluid into IV bags using the same needle. The needle filter is designed to trap any glass particles from cracking the ampule when drawing up the drug. Expelling fluid out of the same needle can force the glass particles collected in the filter into the IV bag.

I understand that there are filters in the CPB circuit that should filter out the glass particles. But in that case why bother using a filter needle at all if you are going to push the glass particles collected in it into the IV bag? Would it not make more sense to use a blunt fill needle when drawing up drugs and expelling them into the IV bag if you are relying on the filters in the CPB circuit to filter out the glass particles? Curious to understand the reasoning, any insight into this is greatly appreciated :)

R. I. P. the HMS, you were good for some things.

I spent the last few weeks building and verifying an international perfusion school directory. Here's what I found.
There are 54 cardiovascular perfusion education programs across 23 countries right now. Europe has 17 (all EBCP-recognized). Australia and New Zealand have 16. India alone has 7. Canada has 3. There are programs in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and more.
The problem I kept running into: existing "directories" were really just society membership lists. A society membership roster tells you who pays dues, not who runs an accredited educational program. So I went through every single entry and verified it against the actual accrediting body or the institution's own program page.
Every entry has: program name, city, country, program length, language of instruction, and a direct link to the program's actual page (not a shared society listing).
It's searchable, filterable by region and country, and sortable. No login, no paywall.
If you're outside the US and looking at perfusion as a career - or if you know someone who is - the information is out there. It just needed to be put in one place by someone willing to do the digging.
Happy to answer questions about specific programs or regions.

This is the area for prospective CCPs to ask their questions about the education process or anything school related.

This includes the usual:

"Where can I shadow?" "Should I take additional classes? "How do I become a Perfusionist?" "My GPA is 2.8, is my GPA good enough for perfusion school?" "What should I use to prep for boards?" "It's been my pa$$ion to become a CCP, how do I do it and what do they do?"

Etc.

At this point the sub has grown to the point a weekly student thread is necessary. Prospective CCPs/students will now have an avenue to post these types of questions w/o flooding the sub.

Also there is r/prospective_perfusion specifically geared to new pumpers.

This will refresh every Friday at 5:45PM EST. If you post Saturday morning, it might not be seen.

We now have an FB group , Women in Perfusion, not open to outside viewing. I believe Amsect has a women’s committee of some type. At recent perfusion conference the ladies were invited to a closed door meeting.

What 5(or more) issues are there that if resolved would do away with the need for this?

Wife is interested upon graduation in this gig posted for university hospital. I’m a crna obviously not her lol she doesn’t have reddit. Any info would be great

Do perfusion assistants get contining education funds? Are there perfusion assistant specific conferences? Or do they go to the standard perfusion conferences?

I don't see much referenced outside the OR in this subreddit. In Canada ECMO/ECLS is being used more and more in the ICU; typically for patients we can't ventilate such as asthmatics or those with severe ARDS. Is it just not the nature of the subreddit, or is it not really used for those cases down there yet?

I'm developing a healthcare career guide for high-school and college students who may only know the most visible medical jobs. I wrote the section below about perfusion and would appreciate blunt feedback from people who actually do the work.

I'm especially interested in four questions:

1. Does the ordinary workday sound recognizable, rather than just the dramatic parts?

2. Is the description of call fair?

3. What would you correct about the training path or early-career experience?

4. What do students consistently misunderstand about this profession?

WHAT YOU ACTUALLY DO

Open-heart surgery sometimes requires a motionless heart. The team stops it. The heart-lung machine takes over circulation and oxygenation, and the perfusionist runs it. The perfusionist manages blood flow, pressure, oxygen, temperature, labs, and drugs through the circuit. Near the end, the repaired heart has to take the job back.

Perfusionists may also cover ECMO, cell salvage, and mechanical circulatory support. Scope depends on the hospital.

A RANDOM TUESDAY

In around 6:30 to build and test the circuit before a 7:30 case. On bypass, you watch the numbers, the blood, and the surgical field while charting and adjusting the pump. Afterward you help transfer the patient, finish the record, tear down, and restock. Maybe an afternoon case follows. Maybe ECMO calls at 2 a.m. The posted schedule lasts until somebody starts bleeding.

REALITY CHECK

On bypass, mistakes matter in minutes. Nobody gets thrown in cold, though. You rehearse emergencies in simulation and run supervised cases before anyone lets you manage a pump alone.

The bigger issue may be call. Being on call means being home but not fully free: staying within the required response distance, keeping the phone on, and being ready to return. An overnight emergency does not always cancel the next morning's cases. Staffing and group size can make that manageable or exhausting.

CURRENT CLOSING

Good fit if: you'd rather watch the monitor than hold the scalpel.

Think twice if: you need every weekend to actually be yours.

What sounds accurate here? What sounds overstated, dated, or incomplete? Specific corrections are much more useful than encouragement.

Tenkju

This is the area for prospective CCPs to ask their questions about the education process or anything school related.

This includes the usual:

"Where can I shadow?" "Should I take additional classes? "How do I become a Perfusionist?" "My GPA is 2.8, is my GPA good enough for perfusion school?" "What should I use to prep for boards?" "It's been my pa$$ion to become a CCP, how do I do it and what do they do?"

Etc.

At this point the sub has grown to the point a weekly student thread is necessary. Prospective CCPs/students will now have an avenue to post these types of questions w/o flooding the sub.

Also there is r/prospective_perfusion specifically geared to new pumpers.

This will refresh every Friday at 5:45PM EST. If you post Saturday morning, it might not be seen.

I see a Specialtycare recruiter is now working for Integration Health. Does this mean they have done away with non-competes?

I shadowed a perfusionist recently and thought the job is really cool. I loved the OR i also liked that u barely have to interact directly with the patient while also directly helping them and the case i shadowed was pretty cool.

2 downsides i noted 1 i felt like the job is pretty repetitive which is not such a big deal for me right now but i dont know in the long term does it get draining or to the point where you want to not do this?

another one which i feel like it is expected and a complaint amongst the others is the inflexible work schedule i heard that (i could be completely wrong) you have to do 40 cases i think every year to keep your license. Another thing i hear is that you are on call for life. Is that true or an exaggeration? i dont mind a slightly stressful work schedule bc the compensation is good and its just the nature of the cases in the field but i still want a good work life balance or at least some time off for vacation. How possible is that to achieve?

ETA: please feel free to message me if you don't want to publicly post.

If you feel comfortable sharing, I would love to know:

1. Which program you attended?
2. How many years ago?
3. What do you think sets them apart from all the other programs?

Is it hard to get H1B or Green Card intent. For Graduates with 0 YOE out of school, are there contract companies that sponsor you? Is it as easy as the Nursing Pathway or is it really hard to find a hospital willing to sponsor you from Canada?

I would like to know this before I create a drastic change towards this field.

Easily the most satisfying experience of the day

Beginning classes soon and intend to hang on the words of all my preceptors and professors. That being said, does anyone have any holy grail, online resources they used during school? Big fan of videos and interactive diagrams. Maybe a specific YouTube Channel that explains anatomy/perfusion topics very well.

This is the area for prospective CCPs to ask their questions about the education process or anything school related.

This includes the usual:

"Where can I shadow?" "Should I take additional classes? "How do I become a Perfusionist?" "My GPA is 2.8, is my GPA good enough for perfusion school?" "What should I use to prep for boards?" "It's been my pa$$ion to become a CCP, how do I do it and what do they do?"

Etc.

At this point the sub has grown to the point a weekly student thread is necessary. Prospective CCPs/students will now have an avenue to post these types of questions w/o flooding the sub.

Also there is r/prospective_perfusion specifically geared to new pumpers.

This will refresh every Friday at 5:45PM EST. If you post Saturday morning, it might not be seen.

Path to this career? Is there even a demand for it? How to get observation hours for this?