True or False: Infants may benefit from alpha-stat management during DHCA.

The management of infants during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) is complex and requires careful consideration of various physiological factors. Alpha-stat management is a technique used in temperature management during cardiopulmonary bypass that maintains the pH of blood at a stable level, counterbalancing changes in carbon dioxide during temperature fluctuations.

Infants have unique physiological characteristics, including differences in body surface area and metabolic rates, which can affect blood gas management during DHCA. In general, infants are more sensitive to changes in temperature and metabolic states than older children or adults. Consequently, managing blood gases using the alpha-stat method may not yield the same benefits in infants as it does in older patients. Instead, maintaining a pH-stat approach—where pH is corrected based on temperature—might be more advantageous for maintaining cerebral perfusion and overall metabolic balance in these patients.

Thus, the assertion that infants may benefit from alpha-stat management during DHCA does not hold true broadly. This is why the statement is considered false.