Postoperative re-perfusion of drained blood in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty: is it effective and cost-efficient?
The value of postoperative salvage and re-infusion of drained blood was assessed in 155 patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty for primary knee osteoarthritis. In group A (n = 77), standard vacuum drains were used. In group B (n = 78), an auto-transfusion system was used and the blood drained within 6 hours postoperatively was re-infused. Group B patients were further distributed into 2 subgroups, in one of which methylprednisolone was administered before blood re-perfusion. Patients who received autologous blood had higher levels of haemoglobin at 8 hours (p < 0.05) and 24 hours postoperatively (p < 0.01) and needed less allogeneic blood transfusion (p < 0.01). Methylprednisolone administration was found to attenuate the postoperative febrile reaction (p = 0.01).
Third Orthopaedic Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou General Hospital, 138 Al. Papanastasiou Str., 54249 Thessaloniki, Greece.
John M
JM
Kirkos
Christos Th
CT
Krystallis
Panayotis A
PA
Konstantinidis
Kyriakos A
KA
Papavasiliou
Margaritis J
MJ
Kyrkos
Lazaros G
LG
Ikonomidis
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000379:methods*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D006454:Hemoglobins