title: A clinical pilot study of fresh frozen plasma versus human albumin in paediatric craniofacial repair.
abstract: Paediatric craniofacial surgery (pCFS) regularly requires transfusion of packed red blood cells (pRBC). In this clinical pilot study two different transfusion regimens were prospectively compared concerning pRBC transfusions, postoperative bleeding and other clinical parameters. Thirty infants (aged < 12 months) scheduled for pCFS were assigned to receive fresh frozen plasma (FFP-group, n = 15) or 5% human albumin (HA-group, n = 15) during the entire surgical procedure. Perioperative amounts of pRBC, postoperative bleeding, major complications, duration of stay in the intensive care unit and overall hospital stay were compared. Differences in pRBC transfusions, postoperative bleeding, and duration of intensive care unit stay were not significant and no major complications occurred in either group. A significantly shorter overall hospital stay was observed in favour of the FFP-group. Volume replacement during pCFS can be safely performed with both applied protocols. Our data do not demonstrate a major advantage for FFP use, but further evaluation is necessary.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité-Centrum 07 for Anaesthesiology, OP-Management and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité-University Hospital, Berlin, Germany. thoralf.kerner@charite.de
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kerner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Machotta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kerner
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ahlers
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haberl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Riess
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hildebrandt
mesh_terms: D003398:Craniosynostoses / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010949:Plasma; D010951:Plasma Exchange / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin