title: Blood loss and transfusion requirements in liver transplantation: experience with the first 75 cases.
abstract: The blood loss data and transfusion requirements including blood bank, salvaged washed red cells, fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate were analysed for the first 75 cases of liver transplantation performed at the Austin Hospital between June 1988 and October 1992. The mean blood loss was 8.8 litres (standard deviation 14.1) with a median value of 4.0 litres. Blood product use expressed as mean number of units (SD) was bank red blood cells 7.1 (12.7), washed red blood cells 3.9 (5.9), fresh frozen plasma 7.1 (9.1), platelets 5.1 (7.4), and cryoprecipitate 1.7 (5.1). These results demonstrate that liver transplantation can be performed without imposing excessive demands on blood transfusion services. Management should include surgical techniques to minimize bleeding and use of autologous transfusion. Use of component therapy (FFP, platelets and cryoprecipitate) should not be empirical. It should be selective on the basis of clinical bleeding assessment and guided by results of the laboratory coagulation profile and changes in thrombelastographic (TEG) parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: McNicol
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Harley
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: McCall
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Przybylowski
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bowkett
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Angus
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001802:Blood Substitutes / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010949:Plasma; D010976:Platelet Count; D017713:Platelet Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012086:Reoperation; D013916:Thrombelastography; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001802:Blood Substitutes; D006454:Hemoglobins