[Need for a pre-deposit autotransfusion program for patients undergoing elective surgery].
BACKGROUND
Preoperative autologous hemodonation is a very useful procedure, but it is not exempt from risks. To reduce them we must ascertain the frequency of autologous donation and the amount of blood needed for each intervention. The objective of this work is to know which are the subsidiary interventions of autotransfusion, which are true necessities of blood for them.


METHODS
All the crossmatched blood units preserved for surgical procedures that might be allocated for autotransfusion were controlled. The source service, the type of intervention, and the number of units requested and transfused were identified.


RESULTS
269 surgical interventions were controlled. For these interventions, 666 units of blood were reserved. No blood transfusion was necessary in 69% of the surgical operations. The number of units transfused was 229 (26.28%). Traumatology and Heart Surgery were the services that demanded more blood. The procedure with greatest requirements of blood units was the total knee replacement. Hysterectomy was the intervention with the lowest percentage of utilization of reserved blood (5.26%).


CONCLUSIONS
Autotransfusion should be offered to all patient in need of knee or hip replacement and those who are subjected to heart surgery with extracorporeal circulation. Patients who are programmed for interventions with a low percentage of utilization of blood, should know these findings, in order that they don't feel subjected to unnecessary procedures.
Soler-Martínez
S
S
Servicio de Hematología y Hemoterapia, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante.
Verdú-Verdú
J J
JJ
de Paz-Andrés
F
F
Calatayud-Cendra
R
R
D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001771:Blood Banks / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data