title: Reinfusion of drained blood as an alternative to homologous blood transfusion after total knee replacement.
abstract: In patients undergoing total knee replacement we carried out a longitudinal cohort study to determine the efficacy and safety of a postoperative autologous blood reinfusion system, as an alternative to homologous, banked blood transfusions. Fifty patients received reinfusion of unwashed, filtered, shed blood, supplemented with banked blood transfusions as required. A control group of 50 patients in whom standard suction drains were used received homologous blood transfusions as required. In the study group, the homologous blood requirement was reduced by 80%. There was no significant difference in the postoperative haemoglobin values between the two groups. None of the patients developed any adverse reactions after reinfusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, St. Richard's Hospital, Chichester, UK. sinhaaabha@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burgert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000379:methods; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome