Massive blood transfusion in choroid plexus tumor surgery: 10-years' experience.
OBJECTIVE
To describe our 10 years of experience with childhood choroid plexus tumors (CPTs).


METHODS
Retrospective chart analysis.


METHODS
Operating room and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a university hospital.


METHODS
18 infants and children undergoing CPT surgery from 1995 to 2004, 11 of whom were younger than 12 months.


METHODS
Perioperative hematologic and coagulation data were measured as well as estimated red cell volume variations (as a reliable index of blood loss) in the perioperative period, together with coagulation parameters.


RESULTS
Greater blood loss was recorded in the infant group vs older children (percentage of estimated red cell volume loss, 1.31 +/- 1.79% vs 0.20 +/- 0.17% [P < 0.01] and 1.50 +/- 1.86% vs 0.29 +/- 0.21% [P < 0.01] on PICU admission and after 72 hours, respectively). Platelet count decrease was similarly noted (51.60 +/- 28.06 vs 27.57 +/- 11.98, P < 0.05, as percentage of preoperative count). Patients operated on in the neonatal period showed the highest blood loss and related coagulation impairment.


CONCLUSIONS
Younger CPT surgery patients present an increased risk versus their older counterparts of massive bleeding resulting in hemodynamic instability and coagulative impairment.
Piastra
Marco
M
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Catholic University School of Medicine, Gemelli Hospital, 00168 Rome, Italy. marco.piastra@fastwebnet.it
Di Rocco
Concezio
C
Tempera
Alessia
A
Caresta
Elena
E
Zorzi
Giulia
G
Tosi
Federica
F
Massimi
Luca
L
Pietrini
Domenico
D
D000768:Anesthesia, General; D035843:Biomedical Research; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016545:Choroid Plexus Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006488:Hemostasis, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D019990:Perioperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric