2012 Arkansas Code
Title 17 - Professions, Occupations, and Businesses
Subtitle 3 - Medical Professions
Chapter 104 - Perfusionists Licensure Act
Subchapter 1 - -- General Provisions
§ 17-104-102 - Definitions.

As used in this chapter:

(1) "Board" means the State Board of Health;

(2) "Committee" means the Perfusionists Advisory Committee;

(3) "Department" means the Department of Health;

(4) "Extracorporeal circulation" means the diversion of a patient's blood through a heart-lung machine or a similar device that assumes the functions of the patient's heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, or other organs;

(5) "Licensed perfusionist" means a person licensed under this chapter;

(6) "Perfusion" means the functions necessary for the support, treatment, measurement, or supplementation of the cardiovascular, circulatory, or respiratory systems or other organs, or a combination of those activities, and to ensure the safe management of physiologic functions by monitoring and analyzing the parameters of the systems under an order and supervision of a licensed physician, including:

(A) The use of extracorporeal circulation, long-term cardiopulmonary support techniques, including, but not limited to, extracorporeal carbon-dioxide removal and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and associated therapeutic and diagnostic technologies;

(B) Counterpulsation, ventricular assistance, autotransfusion, blood conservation techniques, myocardial and organ preservation, extracorporeal life support, and isolated limb perfusion;

(C) The use of techniques involving blood management, advanced life support, and related functions;

(D) The administration of pharmacological and therapeutic agents or blood products or anesthetic agents through the extracorporeal circuit or through an intravenous line for perfusion purposes as ordered by a physician;

(E) The performance and use of:

(i) Anticoagulation monitoring and analysis;

(ii) Physiologic monitoring and analysis;

(iii) Blood gas and chemistry monitoring and analysis;

(iv) Hematologic monitoring and analysis;

(v) Hypothermia;

(vi) Hyperthermia;

(vii) Hemoconcentration and hemodilution; and

(viii) Hemodialysis; and

(F) The observation of signs and symptoms related to perfusion services, the determination of whether the signs and symptoms exhibit abnormal characteristics, and the implementation of appropriate reporting, perfusion protocols, or changes in or the initiation of emergency procedures;

(7) "Perfusion protocols" means perfusion-related policies and protocols developed or approved by a licensed health care facility or a physician through collaboration with administrators, licensed perfusionists, and other health care professionals; and

(8) "Provisional licensed perfusionist" means a person provisionally licensed under this chapter.