[Cardiac surgery in Jehovah's Witnesses. Experience in Santander, Spain].
As patients who are Jehovah's Witnesses are against blood transfusion, they are difficult to manage when a cardiac intervention is required. Between 1998 and 2004, all Jehovah's Witness patients with an indication for cardiac surgery (n=10) were operated on by the same multidisciplinary team. The mean fall in hematocrit was 30% during cardiopulmonary bypass, 35% during the postoperative period, and 22% at discharge. One patient required cardiac re-exploration because of sternal bleeding. All patients survived operation and were discharged. At follow-up, 1 patient died due to respiratory failure. Technological developments that reduce bleeding and enable lost blood to be recovered have made it possible to perform operations involving a risk of hemorrhage in Jehovah's Witnesses.
Bernal
José M
JM
Cirugía Cardiovascular, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Universidad de Cantabria, Av. Marqués de Valdecilla s/n, 39008 Santander, Spain. bernal@humv.es
Naranjo
Sara
S
Trugeda
Manuel
M
Sarralde
Aurelio
A
Diago
Carmen
C
Revuelta
José M
JM
D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033221:Jehovah's Witnesses; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged