Ionized calcium changes during living-donor liver transplantation in patients with and without administration of blood-bank products.
Exogenous citrate load from blood transfusion during orthotopic liver transplantation is thought to be the main cause of ionized hypocalcemia, which may result in hemodynamic instability. This implies that if no blood is transfused, chelation of free ionized calcium (Ca(++)) by citrate is avoided and supplemental calcium need not be given. For this study, we divided 39 pediatric living-donor liver transplant patients into two groups according to the blood component replacement given: group I received packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma with and without 5% albumin, and group II received 5% albumin alone. The intra-operative serial ionized calcium level was recorded, and the amount of calcium chloride replacement to maintain acceptable blood Ca(++) levels was compared between the groups. The mean serum ionized calcium level changes of both groups could be maintained within lower-to-normal limits intra-operatively. The amount of supplemental calcium chloride required to correct the hypo-ionized calcium was not significantly different between the groups. We can conclude that if an exogenous citrate load is eliminated by the avoidance of blood transfusion and 5% albumin infusion is used, instead, to replace the blood and ascites loss during OLT, the risk of ionic hypocalcemia still persists. Serum Ca(++) monitoring and adequate replacement are, therefore, still required in this setting.
Jawan
Bruno
B
Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 123 Ta-pei Rd, Niao Sung, 833, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan, jawanb@hotmail.com
de Villa
Vanessa
V
Luk
Hsiang-Ning
HN
Chen
Yaw-Sen
YS
Chiang
Yuan-Cheng
YC
Wang
Chi-Chih
CC
Wang
Shih-Hor
SH
Cheng
Yu-Fan
YF
Huang
Tung-Liang
TL
Eng
Hock-Liew
HL
Liu
Po-Ping
PP
Chen
Chao-Long
CL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D006996:Hypocalcemia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007477:Ions / Q000097:blood; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D017211:Treatment Failure
D007477:Ions; D012709:Serum Albumin; D002118:Calcium