title: Postoperative autotransfusion of concentrated drainage blood in cardiac surgery. Experience with a new autotransfusion system.
abstract: A new autotransfusion system was evaluated postoperatively in six patients undergoing aortocoronary bypass surgery. A hollow fiber hemofilter was integrated in the system, making it possible to concentrate the shed blood. The device functioned well, 825 ml diluted mediastinal drainage blood with a hematocrit of 23 was concentrated to a volume of 475 ml with a hematocrit of 36 and retransfused. Proteins were preserved, thus albumin concentration increased from 23 to 37 g/l in the autotransfusate. No negative side effects were registered after autotransfusion. A thorough coagulation study after retransfusion did not reveal any sign of activation of the coagulation cascade, nor were there any signs of an increased fibrinolysis.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001769:Blood; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous / Q000379:methods*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008482:Mediastinum; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D014462:Ultrafiltration
chemical_list: D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors