THE ROLE OF THE PERFUSIONIST NURSE AND COMPLICATIONS ARISING FROM EXTRACORPOREAL CIRCULATION (ECC): AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Cardiac surgery is considered one of the most complex areas of medicine, requiring a highly specialized team and advanced technologies to ensure the safety and effectiveness of procedures. Among the professionals involved, the perfusionist nurse stands out, whose role is essential for the success of extracorporeal circulation (ECC). Thus, this study aimed to identify recent scientific publications on complications associated with extracorporeal circulation (ECC) and to analyze the role of the perfusionist nurse. This was an integrative literature review conducted in September 2025, using the Virtual Health Library (VHL) database and the Google Scholar scientific search platform. The results of this study highlighted the following thematic areas: “Perfusionist nurses in cardiac surgeries: profile, role, and knowledge about this specialty” (7 scientific publications) and “Complications of ECC in cardiac surgeries” (4 scientific publications). It is therefore concluded that, given the complexity involved in extracorporeal circulation (ECC)—a process full of risks and clinical challenges—the role of the perfusionist nurse is indispensable, as their presence in the multidisciplinary team not only promotes patient safety but also ensures the quality of care throughout all stages of the surgical procedure.