2019 EACTS/EACTA/EBCP Guidelines on Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Adult Cardiac Surgery: a Tool to Better Clinical Practice

‘To improve the outcome of adult patients undergoing heart surgery’

This simple leading statement from the ‘2019 EACTS/EACTA/EBCP guidelines on cardiopulmonary bypass in adult cardiac surgery’ [1] summarizes the intentions of surgeons, anaesthetists and perfusionists worldwide. Cardiac surgical teams have joined together so that they can provide optimal care to each individual patient undergoing cardiac surgery. Our recognition of the importance of developing and disseminating guidelines has advanced greatly over the last 18 years from when, in 2002 Claus Bartels described cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) as being devoid of a scientific basis.