title: Predictive factors for perioperative blood transfusion in surgeries for correction of idiopathic, neuromuscular or congenital scoliosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association of clinical and demographic variables in patients requiring blood transfusion during elective surgery to treat scoliosis with the aim of identifying markers predictive of the need for blood transfusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on the review of medical charts at a public university hospital, this retrospective study evaluated whether the following variables were associated with the need for red blood cell transfusion (measured by the number of packs used) during scoliosis surgery: scoliotic angle, extent of arthrodesis (number of fused levels), sex of the patient, surgery duration and type of scoliosis (neuromuscular, congenital or idiopathic).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 94 patients evaluated in a 55-month period, none required a massive blood transfusion (most patients needed less than two red blood cell packs). The number of packs was not significantly associated with sex or type of scoliosis. The extent of arthrodesis (r = 0.103), surgery duration (r = 0.144) and scoliotic angle (r = 0.004) were weakly correlated with the need for blood transfusion. Linear regression analysis showed an association between the number of spine levels submitted to arthrodesis and the volume of blood used in transfusions (p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study did not reveal any evidence of a significant association between the need for red blood cell transfusion and scoliotic angle, sex or surgery duration in scoliosis correction surgery. Submission of more spinal levels to arthrodesis was associated with the use of a greater number of blood packs.
authors.affiliation: Spine Division, (IOT-HCFMUSP), Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandre Fogaça
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Cristante
authors.affiliation: Spine Division, (IOT-HCFMUSP), Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Alvim
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.affiliation: Spine Division, (IOT-HCFMUSP), Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Angelo Roberto
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Spine Division, (IOT-HCFMUSP), Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Olavo Biraghi
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Letaif
authors.affiliation: Spine Division, (IOT-HCFMUSP), Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raphael Martus
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Marcon
authors.affiliation: Spine Division, (IOT-HCFMUSP), Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tarcisio Eloy Pessoa de
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Barros Filho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001174:Arthrodesis / Q000379:methods*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D002648:Child; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D061646:Operative Time; D019990:Perioperative Care; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult