title: The utility of an autologous blood salvage system in emergency thoracotomy for a hemothorax after chest trauma.
abstract: In Japan, little is known about using the Cell Saver in treating blunt or penetrating chest trauma. We therefore report the utility of this autologous blood salvage device. Two patients underwent emergency thoracotomies with the Cell Saver to treat massive hemothorax and made full recoveries. The first was a 29-year-old man who suffered a stab injury to his chest; 5000 ml blood was collected from the thorax, of which about 3000 ml was reinfused. The second was a 51-year-old man involved in a car crash; 1600 ml blood was collected from the thorax, of which about 500 ml was reinfused. When no banked blood is available for an emergency thoracotomy, the Cell Saver is an extremely useful machine. This device is also effective in treating progressive hemorrhagic shock and helpful when the rate of blood loss exceeds the supply available from the blood bank.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Maebashi Red Cross Hospital, 3-21-36 Asahi-Cho, Maebashi, and Division of Thoracic and Visceral Organ Surgery, Gunma Graduate University School of Medicine, Gunma 371-0014, Japan. micha2005jp@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamiyoshihara
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ibe
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takeyoshi
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D006491:Hemothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D013908:Thoracotomy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery