title: An analysis of 9,918 consecutive perioperative autotransfusions.
abstract: The efficacy of perioperative autotransfusion (PAT) can be evaluated by the reduction in homologous transfusion accompanying its use. An alternative approach is to evaluate the amount of blood salvaged and retransfused. An analysis of 9,918 consecutive PAT procedures in various surgical specialties revealed that the average return of autologous blood salvaged was equivalent to 2.61 units of erythrocytes ("packed cells"). Cardiac operation had the greatest average number of units recovered (4.65), while orthopedic operation had the least (1.05). This method of analysis demonstrates that significant quantities of blood can be salvaged during PAT procedures.
authors.affiliation: Southern Arizona Regional Red Cross Blood Program, Tucson.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Prust
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Sandler
mesh_terms: D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001810:Blood Volume; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*