Post-operative blood salvage with autologous retransfusion in primary total hip replacement.
Clinical, haematological or economic benefits of post-operative blood salvage with autologous blood re-transfusion have yet to be clearly demonstrated for primary total hip replacement. We performed a prospective randomised study to analyse differences in postoperative haemoglobin levels and homologous blood requirements in two groups of patients undergoing primary total hip replacement. A series of 158 patients was studied. In one group two vacuum drains were used and in the other the ABTrans autologous retransfusion system. A total of 58 patients (76%) in the re-transfusion group received autologous blood. There was no significant difference in the mean post-operative haemoglobin levels in the two groups. There were, however, significantly fewer patients with post-operative haemoglobin values less than 9.0 g/dl and significantly fewer patients who required transfusion of homologous blood in the re-transfusion group. There was also a small overall cost saving in this group.
Smith
L K
LK
Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery Weston General Hospital, Uphill, Weston-super-Mare, UK. lindsay.smith@waht.swest.nhs.uk
Williams
D H
DH
Langkamer
V G
VG
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000379:methods*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D004322:Drainage / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period