Association between age and blood loss in children undergoing open heart operations.
BACKGROUND
Although recent studies indicated young children are at risk for increased perioperative hemorrhage after open heart operations, the associations between patient age, blood loss and blood product transfusions have not been fully defined in children.


METHODS
Perioperative blood loss and blood product transfusion data were recorded for 414 consecutive children undergoing open heart procedures. The children were in the following age groups: 1 month or younger, group 1; older than 1 month to 12 months, group 2; older than 1 year to 5 years, group 3; and older than 5 years, group 4.


RESULTS
Postoperative blood loss and blood product transfusions were inversely related to age and differed significantly between the four age groups. Multiple preoperative and intraoperative factors that possibly influence hemostasis also differed significantly between age groups. Median units transfused within 72 hours differed significantly with age (p < 0.0001): group 1, 8 units (range, 1 to 19 units); group 2, 6 units (range, 0 to 21 units); group 3, 2 units (range, 0 to 23 units); and group 4, 0 units (range, 0 to 38 units).


CONCLUSIONS
Blood loss and transfusions vary inversely with age. Per kilogram of body weight, neonates bled more and received more donor products than any other age group.
Department of Anesthesiology, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 98105-0371, USA. jwilli@chmc.org
G D
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Williams
S L
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Bratton
E C
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Riley
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Ramamoorthy
D000367:Age Factors; D016913:Blood Component Transfusion; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001835:Body Weight; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors