perfusionist

noun

per·​fu·​sion·​ist (ˌ)pər-ˈfyü-zhə-nist How to pronounce perfusionist (audio)
: a certified medical technician responsible for extracorporeal oxygenation of the blood during open-heart surgery and for the operation and maintenance of equipment (such as a heart-lung machine) controlling it

Examples of perfusionist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Briant also argued that the plaintiffs themselves had blamed the hospital’s chief perfusionist — who was in charge of the heater-cooler devices — for failing to properly disinfect the units and alleged that the negligence led to the infection. — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026 Further, growing fields like cardiovascular perfusionists, more and more involved in ICU care, field resuscitation, organ preservation, and other support roles, remain unrecognized. — David S. Shapiro, STAT, 30 June 2026 Since September, Druzhyna has spent his weekdays in Milwaukee, attending classes and shadowing other perfusionists during surgery. — Natalie Yahr, jsonline.com, 30 Jan. 2026 The machine is operated by a specialist called a cardiovascular perfusionist. — Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 3 Dec. 2021 See All Example Sentences for perfusionist

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of perfusionist was in 1964

Browse Nearby Words

perfuse
perfusionist
Perga
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Cite this Entry

“Perfusionist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perfusionist. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Medical Definition

perfusionist

noun
per·​fu·​sion·​ist pər-ˈfyüzh-(ə-)nəst How to pronounce perfusionist (audio)
: a certified medical technician responsible for extracorporeal oxygenation of the blood during open-heart surgery and for the operation and maintenance of equipment (as a heart-lung machine) controlling it
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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