title: Quadruple major joint replacement in member of Jehovah's Witnesses. No blood products, autotransfusion or substitutes used.
abstract: Bilateral total knee and total hip replacement were performed on a 44-year-old woman with severe unremitting rheumatoid arthritis. The patient, a Jehovah's Witness had refused transfusion utilizing blood, blood byproducts, and blood substitutes. She had also refused the use of autotransfusion, even in the event of an emergency. The authors describe successful major joint replacement carried out on four separate occasions without transfusion. The only hematologic therapy was the preoperative and postoperative administration of iron dextran.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, St. Joseph Hospital, North Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Mariorenzi
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pierik
mesh_terms: D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D002835:Christianity; D005260:Female; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D007505:Iron-Dextran Complex / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007720:Knee Prosthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D012068:Religion and Medicine
chemical_list: D007505:Iron-Dextran Complex