Preoperative autologous blood donation by elderly patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the feasibility of a programme of predeposit in elderly patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery.


METHODS
We retrospectively studied 789 elderly patient candidates (> 65 years of age) for orthopaedic surgery (total hip and knee replacement and spinal surgery), who were undergoing a programme of preoperative autologous blood donation (PABD) in our city hospital between January 1990 and December 1998.


RESULTS
Six hundred and eighty-eight patients (87.2%) were transfused with autologous blood; 128 (16.2%) also received allogeneic blood. Hip arthroplasty revision was characterized by the greatest blood consumption. The predeposit programme was discontinued in 96 patients (12.2%) because of the following complications: the onset of anaemia (11.0%); vasovagal reactions (0.5%); lack of venous access (0.4%); or cardiac complications (0.2%). No episodes of reaction to autologous transfusion were recorded.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study confirms the feasibility of PABD in elderly patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery.
Gandini
G
G
Servizio di Immunoematologia e Trasfusione Ospedale Policlinico, Via delle Menegone, 10-37134 Verona, Italy. giorgio.gandini@mail.azosp.vr.it
Franchini
M
M
de Gironcoli
M
M
Giuffrida
A
A
Bertuzzo
D
D
Zanolla
L
L
Ferro
I
I
Regis
D
D
Aprili
G
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies