title: Clinical efficacy and cost effectiveness of intraoperative cell salvage in pelvic trauma surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pelvic acetabular injuries are associated with significant blood loss. This is compounded by multiple surgical interventions including definitive fracture fixation, which put patients at further risk of postoperative transfusion. We use intraoperative cell salvage routinely as a blood conservation strategy to address this issue. This is a prospective evaluation of the clinical efficacy and cost effectiveness of using intraoperative cell salvage in patients with pelvic acetabular injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected prospectively for all the patients who underwent pelvic acetabular fracture fixation at our institution. A total of 30 patients (25 men, 5 women) with a mean age of 41 years (range: 31-79 years) were assessed over a period of 10 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean preoperative and postoperative haemoglobin levels were 11.8g/dl and 9.9g/dl respectively. The mean intraoperative blood loss was 1,232.5ml (range: 150-2,693ml). The mean amount of blood salvaged and retransfused through a cell saver was 388ml. Of the 30 patients, 14 (47%) required transfusion after surgery and 26 units of blood were transfused. In terms of cost effectiveness, a total of £2,572 in 30 patients or £86 per patient were saved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found intraoperative cell salvage to be clinically efficacious and cost effective in patients with pelvic acetabular injuries.
authors.affiliation: Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust, UK. saurabhsodak@gmail.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Odak
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raza
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clayson
mesh_terms: D000077:Acetabulum / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000191:economics / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057725:Operative Blood Salvage / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies