Management of severe blood loss after tumor resection in a Jehovah's Witness.
This report describes the peri- and postoperative management of a patient with a critical blood loss (hemoglobin of 22 g/l) as a consequence of a surgical intervention, i.e. a radical resection of an advanced malignant gynecological tumor. The patient refused autologous and homologous blood transfusions for religious reasons (Jehovah's Witness). During surgery, hemodilution and cell salvage were used. Postoperatively she developed coagulopathy and hemorrhage with the lowest hemoglobin value of 22 g/l. The patient recovered under a therapy regimen of recombinant human erythropoietin and parenteral iron. The hemoglobin values returned to the lower normal range within 4 weeks. Consequences of hypoxia could not be seen.
Kunz
J
J
Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Schweizerische Pflegerinnenschule, Zurich, Switzerland.
Mähr
R
R
D000328:Adult; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*; D002835:Christianity; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006438:Hemodilution; D006452:Hemoglobinometry; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications
D004921:Erythropoietin; D007501:Iron