Use the tips below to get strong, clinically useful answers every time.
- Give a quick patient snapshot: Age, sex, height, weight (or BSA), key comorbidities (e.g., COPD, CKD, severe AS).
- State the procedure and context: “On CPB for redo AVR/CABG,” “V-A ECMO at bedside,” “Weaning from bypass after MVR,” etc.
- Describe your circuit and strategy: Pump type (roller vs centrifugal), cannulation sites, prime volume, temperature strategy, venting, special devices (IABP, Impella).
- Include the numbers that matter: ACT, Hct/Hb, flows, pressures, gases, lactate, urine output, recent ABG, anticoagulation doses, etc.
- Say what decision you’re trying to make: “Help me plan flows,” “Help me troubleshoot low SvO₂,” “Help me plan an oxygenator changeout,” etc.
- Be explicit about the deliverable: “Give me a step-by-step checklist,” “Create a troubleshooting guide,” “Summarize pros/cons of two strategies,” “Show me the calculation with formulas.”
- Specify format and level of detail: “Keep it to 5 bullet points,” or “Give a detailed, stepwise explanation with calculations.”
- Aim it at your role: “Explain this as if you are a senior CCP teaching a new grad on pump.”
- Mention institutional preferences: “Our surgeons prefer higher flows and lower MAPs,” “We avoid Hct < 22%,” “We do not use DHCA for this case.”
- Clarify what you will and won’t do: “Don’t recommend drugs or doses—focus on perfusion strategy, flows, and circuit management.”
- Call out constraints: Limited blood products, difficult access, small femoral vessels, limited time on cross-clamp, etc.
- Request step-by-step thinking: “Walk me through your reasoning step by step,” “Explain why you chose that flow and pressure target.”
- Ask for alternatives and tradeoffs: “Give me two possible strategies and when you’d choose each,” “What are the risks of each option?”
- Refine the question when needed: “That’s close, but focus more on venous drainage issues,” “Ignore anesthesia concerns and stick to circuit mechanics.”
- Build on previous answers: “Using the checklist you just gave, now add a troubleshooting section for low flows and low SvO₂.”
- Keep a critical mindset: Always confirm AI suggestions against your training, protocols, and the surgeon’s plan.
Following these steps will help you get targeted, practical, clinically relevant answers—not generic AI output.
Example 1 – Oxygenator Changeout
Weak Prompt
How do I change out an oxygenator?
Optimized Prompt
I’m on CPB for a CABG case, and I suspect my oxygenator is failing (rising trans-membrane pressure and worsening gases). I need a detailed, step-by-step plan for an oxygenator changeout.
Adult patient, 82 kg, BSA 1.95 m²
Centrifugal arterial pump head
Heart is arrested, patient is warm (36 °C)
Venous return is via dual-stage RA cannula
Please give a numbered checklist that emphasizes safety, communication with the team, minimizing air risk, and keeping systemic perfusion adequate during the change.
Example 2 – Pregnant Patient on Bypass
Weak Prompt
What considerations should I have for a bypass case that involves a pregnant patient?
Optimized Prompt
I’m planning CPB for a pregnant patient undergoing MVR.
32-year-old female, 26 weeks pregnant
BSA 1.7 m², no major comorbidities
Standard adult circuit with antegrade cardioplegia
I need a concise list (bullet points) of perfusion considerations specific to pregnancy: flow and pressure targets, hematocrit goals, temperature management, vasopressor use, and anticoagulation considerations. Focus only on perfusion strategy and fetal perfusion concerns—not surgical or obstetric details.
Always remember: Perfusion Mind is a decision-support tool, not a replacement for clinical judgment, protocols, or real-time collaboration with your surgical and anesthesia team.
