title: Patient blood management: a 68-year-old woman contemplating autologous blood donation before elective surgery.
abstract: Globally, more than 81 million units of red blood cells are transfused annually. Of the 15 million red blood cell components transfused annually in the United States, approximately 40% are transfused to patients undergoing elective surgical procedures. Because of concerns about limited blood availability as well as risks of transfusion-related adverse events, blood products should be used judiciously. Using the case of Ms C, a 68-year-old woman considering autologous blood donation prior to knee replacement surgery, the concept of patient blood management is discussed. This approach entails a complete evaluation of the patient in the preoperative period to assess for bleeding risks and anemia, with a goal to optimize a patient's condition prior to surgery; use of various strategies in the operative period to mitigate the need for allogeneic blood transfusion; and meticulous postoperative care to again avoid the need for blood transfusion.
authors: Division of Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. luhl@bidmc.harvard.edu
authors: Lynne
authors: L
authors: Uhl
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous; D003657:Decision Making; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D011182:Postoperative Care