title: Intraoperative blood salvage in children and young adults undergoing spinal surgery with predeposited autologous blood: efficacy and cost effectiveness.
abstract: We conducted a retrospective review of 155 spinal operations at our institution to determine the efficacy of intraoperative salvage. Addition of intraoperative salvage had little effect on the success of a preoperative autologous donation program. Only patients with operative blood loss > 2,000 ml (12% of patients) benefited from this expensive source of autologous blood. The technique tended to be most effective in children aged 16-18 years. Use of intraoperative salvage for all pediatric spinal procedures is neither necessary nor cost effective.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Surgery Service, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Georgopoulos
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Eilert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013131:Spine / Q000601:surgery*