Optimising bloodless cardiovascular surgery for Jehovah's Witnesses and beyond.

Emerging evidence suggests surgical outcomes of patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery that refuse autologous transfusion is comparable to those who accept whole blood product transfusions. There are several methods that can be used to minimize blood loss during cardiovascular surgery. These methods can be categorised into pharmacological measures, including the use of erythropoietin, iron and tranexamic acid, surgical techniques, like the use of polysaccharide haemostat, and devices such as those used in acute normovolaemic haemodilution. More prospective studies with stricter protocols are required to assess surgical outcomes in bloodless cardiac surgery as well as further research into the long-term outcomes of bloodless cardiovascular surgery patients. This review summarizes current evidence on the use of pre-, intra-, and post-operative strategies aimed at the subset of patients who refuse blood transfusion, for example Jehovah's Witnesses.

Is There Sufficient Evidence Justifying Limited Access of Jehovah's Witness Patients to Kidney Transplantation?

BACKGROUND: Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) refuse blood transfusions due to religious issues. This situation may impact kidney transplantation (KT) outcomes in case of hemorrhagic complications. We evaluated demographic characteristics of this population, hematologic safety, and graft outcomes. METHODS: This was a retrospective, single-center study comparing KT outcomes in JW patients versus a non-JW control group. Hematologic endpoints included clinical indication for blood transfusion (hemoglobin <7 g/dL), decrease of hemoglobin >2 g/dL or hematocrit >5% in the first week after KT, hemorrhagic complications requiring surgery, and de novo prescription of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. Secondary endpoints included delayed graft function, treated biopsy-proven acute rejection, renal function, mortality, and graft survival at 12 months. RESULTS: From January 1989 to September 2018, we identified 143 JW (10 pediatric) and selected 142 matched control (non-JW) patients. There were no differences in the incidence of clinical indication for transfusion (13.3% versus 11.3%, P = 0.640), but a higher proportion of non-JW patients received transfusions (2.1% versus 9.2%, P = 0.010). There were no differences in the proportion of patients with decreased hemoglobin concentration, in reinterventions due to hemorrhagic complications, in the use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents at hospital discharge, in the incidence of acute rejection, in renal function, and in mortality or graft survival rate at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, this matched control cohort study suggests that, when clinically indicated, blood transfusions can be safely avoided in the majority of JW kidney transplant, who achieve and maintain comparable hemoglobin concentrations during the first year after transplantation compared with non-JW patients.

Long-term survival and quality of life in Jehovah's witnesses after cardiac surgery: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: We previously analyzed morbidity and mortality in Jehovah's Witnesses patients after cardiac surgery compared to control population patients. Patients who were Jehovah's Witnesses were operated in accordance with their philosophical convictions and in respect of their refusal of transfusions. We propose to assess long-term survival and quality of life in the patients of this preliminary study. METHODS: We contacted 31 adult Jehovah's Witnesses patients who underwent heart surgery at the Brugmann hospital between 1991 and 2012 and compared them to a control population of 62 patients that had no transfusion restriction, and matched them for sex, age at the time of intervention and the type of surgery performed. We compared long-term quality of life in both populations through the MacNew software, a validated instrument to assess quality of life of patients with cardiovascular disease. The long-term survival of patients was analyzed by Kaplan Meier curves. RESULTS: Long-term quality of life and survival do not appear different between the two groups. Patient evaluation by MacNew software shows comparable physical (p = 0.54), emotional (p = 0.12), social (p = 0.21) and global (p = 0.25) scores between the two populations. The analysis of the actuarial survival curves shows no differences in terms of long-term survival of these patients (p = 0.37). CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac surgery in Jehovah's Witnesses can be performed with identical long-term quality of life and survival compared to surgery without blood transfusion restriction, if one follows rigorous blood conserving strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03348072 . Retrospectively registered 16 November 2017.

Patterns of care in Jehovah's Witnesses patients with solid tumours and lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Supportive care of Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) diagnosed with cancer can be challenging, as they do not accept red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. AIM: The study was designed to determine treatment preferences and pattern of care offered to JWs diagnosed with cancer and its impact on cancer management. METHODS AND RESULTS: A retrospective cohort study of JWs with solid malignancies or lymphoma in our institution between 2005 and 2015 was conducted. Survival statistics were estimated using Kaplan Meier survival curves and Cox proportional regression model. A total of 63 JWs were identified with a median age of 70 years. At diagnosis, 34% (n = 22) had anaemia. All 63 declined RBC transfusion, including 19 patients who later developed transfusion threshold during anti-cancer treatment. Forty-three percent (n = 27) JWs had advanced (stage 4) disease, and 76% (n = 48) had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group of 0 to 1. JWs were willing to accept surgery and radiation rather than chemotherapy. Treatment was deemed to be suboptimal in 22% (n = 14) JWs due to early treatment discontinuation, administration of non-standard chemotherapy regimen, or dose reduction due to anaemia and denial of blood transfusion. Twenty-seven percent (n = 17) received hematopoietic growth factors (erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and pegfilgrastim). There was no mortality directly attributed to anaemia or refusal of blood transfusion in the entire cohort. CONCLUSION: Jehovah's Witnesses declined RBC transfusion at diagnosis and during cancer therapy even if medically indicated. Management pathways need to be prospectively defined for this group of patients.

Management of anemia in patients who decline blood transfusion.

Declining a treatment modality should not be considered the same as refusal of medical care as illustrated by the management of Jehovah's Witness patients who do not accept transfusions. Over the years, a comprehensive set of strategies have been developed to meet the specific needs of these patients and these strategies are collectively called "Bloodless Medicine and Surgery" (BMS). The focus in BMS is to optimize the patients' hematopoietic capacity to increase hemoglobin (Hgb) level, minimize blood loss, improve hemostasis, and provide supportive strategies to minimize oxygen consumption and maximize oxygen utilization. We present 3 case reports that illustrate some of the challenges faced and measures available to effectively treat these patients. Under BMS programs, patients with extremely low hemoglobin levels, not conducive to survival under ordinary conditions, have survived and recovered without receiving allogeneic transfusions. Additionally, the valuable experience gained from caring for these patients has paved the way to develop the concept of Patient Blood Management as a standard care to benefit all patients, and not only those for whom blood is not an option.

Safety and feasibility of elective liver resection in adult Jehovah's Witnesses: the Henri Mondor Hospital experience.

BACKGROUND: Elective liver resection (LR) in Jehovah's Witness (JW) patients, for whom transfusion is not an option, involves complex ethical and medical issues and surgical difficulties. METHODS: Consecutive data from a LR program for liver tumors in JWs performed between 2014 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. A systematic review of the literature with a pooled analysis was performed. RESULTS: Ten patients were included (median age = 61 years). None needed preoperative erythropoietin. Tumor biopsy was not performed. Major hepatectomy was performed in 4 patients. The median estimated blood loss was 200 mL. A cell-saver was installed in 2 patients, none received saved blood. The median hemoglobin values before and at the end of surgery were 13.4 g/dL and 12.6 g/dL, respectively (p = 0.04). Nine complications occurred in 4 patients, but no postoperative hemorrhage occurred. In-hospital mortality was nil. Nine studies including 35 patients were identified in the literature; there was reported no mortality and low morbidity. None of the patients were transfused. CONCLUSIONS: By using a variety of blood conservation techniques, the risk/benefit ratio of elective liver resection for liver was maintained in selected adult JW patients. JW faith should not constitute an absolute exclusion from hepatectomy.

Treatment of individuals who cannot receive blood products for religious or other reasons.

By virtue of their religious principles, Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) generally object to receiving blood products, raising numerous ethical, legal, and medical challenges for providers who care for these patients, especially in the emergent setting. In this review, we discuss several areas relevant to the care of JWs, including the current literature on "bloodless" medical care in the setting of perioperative and intraoperative management, acute blood loss, trauma, pregnancy, and malignancy. We have found that medical and administrative efforts in the form of bloodless medicine and surgery programs can be instrumental in helping to reduce risks of morbidity and mortality in these patients. Planning prior to an anticipated event associated with blood loss or anemia (such as elective surgery, pregnancy, and chemotherapy) is critical. Specifically, bloodless medicine programs should prioritize vigilant early screening and management of anemias, early establishment of patient wishes regarding transfusion, and the incorporation of those wishes into multidisciplinary medical and surgical care. Although there are now a variety of human-based and nonhuman-based products available as transfusion alternatives, the degree and quality of evidence to support their use varies significantly between products and is also largely dependent on the clinical setting.

Avoiding allogenic blood transfusions in endoscopic angiofibroma surgery.

BACKGROUND: Surgical approaches for many tumours are often limited by blood loss, exposure and risk to vital anatomical structures. Therefore, the standard of care for certain skull base tumours has become endoscopic transnasal resection. Other surgical disciplines often use cell salvage techniques, but review of the otolaryngology literature revealed very few case reports. This study investigated the value and safety of salvage-type autologous blood transfusion during the endoscopic resection of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas (JNA). METHODS: JNA is a rare vascular nasal tumour and the study extended over a 3-year period to obtain adequate patient numbers. All patients undergoing endoscopic resection during this period were included in the population sample. Ten patients with JNA were identified and underwent embolization prior to the endoscopic resection. In all cases the intraoperative blood salvage apparatus was used. Close post-operative monitoring was performed. RESULTS: Homologous blood transfusion could be avoided in all cases. Postoperative monitoring revealed transient bacteraemia in two cases where the leukocyte filter was not used, but no evidence of septicaemia. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative cell saver and autologous blood transfusion in endonasal JNA surgery is safe. Homologous blood transfusion can be avoided by using this technique. The use of cell salvage allows for single stage surgery without the need to abandon surgery due to excessive blood loss and its future use is promising.

[Surgery without blood transfusion for pheocromocytoma in a Jehovah's Witness patient: a case report].

A 59-year-old woman who identified as a Jehovah's Witness was diagnosed with pheochromocytoma in the left adrenal gland, measuring 11 cm in diameter, during treatment for hypertension. Given her desire to undergo transfusion-less surgery for religious reasons, we obtained fully informed consent and had the patient sign both a transfusion refusal and exemption-from-responsibility certificate and received consent to instead use plasma derivatives, preoperative diluted autologous transfusion and intraoperative salvaged autologous transfusion. To manage anemia and maintain total blood volume, we preoperatively administered erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and alpha 1 blocker, respectively. During the left adrenalectomy, the patient underwent a transfusion of 400 mL of preoperative diluted autologous blood, ultimately receiving no intraoperative salvaged autologous blood. The operation took 4 hours 42 minutes, and the total volume of blood lost was 335 mL. In conclusion, to complete transfusion-less surgery for pheochromocytoma, it is necessary to have the patient sign a generic refusal form for transfusion and exemption-from-responsibility certificate as well as outline via another consent form exactly what sort of transfusion is permitted on a more specific basis. And doctors should become skilled in perioperative management and operative technique for pheochromocytoma and make the best effort by all alternative medical treatment in order to build trust confidence with a patient.

Strategic and operational aspects of a transfusion-free neonatal arterial switch operation.

Blood transfusion-free complex congenital cardiac surgery in a neonate remains a challenge for multidisciplinary cardiac teams. At our institution, a 3.5 kg neonate, born to a family of Jehovah's Witnesses and postnatally diagnosed with dextro-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA) and a small muscular ventricular septal defect, underwent a successful arterial switch operation without blood or platelet transfusion. Key points that contributed to success were optimal preoperative haematopoetic conditioning using erythropoietin and iron, a miniaturized cardiopulmonary bypass circuit including a low prime volume oxygenator and crystalloid cardioplegia, and a well-coordinated multidisciplinary team. We report an overview of the literature regarding blood transfusion-free complex congenital cardiac surgery.

[Experience in kidney transplantation without blood transfusion: kidney transplantation transfusion-free in Jehovah's Witnesses. First communication in Mexico]. / Experiencia en trasplante renal sin transfusión sanguínea en Testigos de Jehová, Primera comunicación en México.

BACKGROUND: Jehovah's Witness refuse blood transfusion, but they accept organ transplantation, albumin, immunoglobulin, vaccines and clotting factors. CLINICAL CASES: We present 3 kidney transplants in Jehovah's Witness patients (two male and one female) without blood transfusion, with a mean age of 31.33 years and a mean body mass index of 20.99 kg/m(2). All patients underwent pretransplant peritoneal dialysis for an average of 52.3 months. Two transplants came from living donors and one from a deceased donor with a cold ischemia of 23 hours. The donors were two females and one male, with a mean age of 34.33 years. All patients received pretransplant erythropoietin and iron dextran and an intraoperative cell saver was used. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cells and serum creatinine levels, as well as the glomerular filtration at 24 months postransplant were stable. All patients received induction with basiliximab and initial immunosuppression with calcineurin inhibitors. One of the patients had a perirenal hematoma as a complication, which required a surgery 20 days post-transplant. At 5, 26 and 36 months postransplant the three patients are alive and with functional grafts. CONCLUSION: It is possible to perform kidney transplantation without transfusion in Jehovah's Witness, obtaining an acceptable global survival without acute rejection.

Antecedentes: los Testigos de Jehová rechazan la transfusión sanguínea, pero aceptan el trasplante de órganos, albúmina, inmunoglobulina, vacunas y factores de coagulación. Casos clínicos: comunicamos tres casos de pacientes (dos masculinos y uno femenino) a quienes se realizó trasplante renal en Testigos de Jehová sin transfusión sanguínea, con edad promedio de 31.33 años e índice de masa corporal promedio de 20.99 kg/m2. Los tres pacientes recibieron diálisis peritoneal pre trasplante por un promedio de 52.3 meses. Se realizaron dos trasplantes de donante vivo y uno de fallecido, con isquemia fría de 23 horas. Los donantes fueron dos femeninos y uno masculino, con edad promedio de 34.33 años. Los tres pacientes recibieron eritropoyetina y hierro dextrán pretrasplante y en el transoperatorio se utilizó una máquina de recuperación celular. Las concentraciones de hemoglobina, hematócrito, glóbulos rojos, creatinina sérica y filtración glomerular a 24 meses postrasplante permanecieron estables. La inducción se realizó con basiliximab y la inmunosupresión inicial con inhibidores de calcineurina. Uno de los pacientes tuvo como complicación un hematoma perirrenal que ameritó reintervención a los 20 días postrasplante. A 5, 26 y 36 meses postrasplante los tres pacientes están vivos y con injerto funcional. Conclusión: es posible realizar trasplantes renales sin transfusión sanguínea en Testigos de Jehová, con supervivencia global aceptable y sin episodios de rechazo agudo.

Outcome of patients who refuse transfusion after cardiac surgery: a natural experiment with severe blood conservation.

BACKGROUND: Jehovah's Witness patients (Witnesses) who undergo cardiac surgery provide a unique natural experiment in severe blood conservation because anemia, transfusion, erythropoietin, and antifibrinolytics have attendant risks. Our objective was to compare morbidity and long-term survival of Witnesses undergoing cardiac surgery with a similarly matched group of patients who received transfusions. METHODS: A total of 322 Witnesses and 87 453 non-Witnesses underwent cardiac surgery at our center from January 1, 1983, to January 1, 2011. All Witnesses prospectively refused blood transfusions. Among non-Witnesses, 38 467 did not receive blood transfusions and 48 986 did. We used propensity methods to match patient groups and parametric multiphase hazard methods to assess long-term survival. Our main outcome measures were postoperative morbidity complications, in-hospital mortality, and long-term survival. RESULTS: Witnesses had fewer acute complications and shorter length of stay than matched patients who received transfusions: myocardial infarction, 0.31% vs 2.8% (P = . 01); additional operation for bleeding, 3.7% vs 7.1% (P = . 03); prolonged ventilation, 6% vs 16% (P < . 001); intensive care unit length of stay (15th, 50th, and 85th percentiles), 24, 25, and 72 vs 24, 48, and 162 hours (P < . 001); and hospital length of stay (15th, 50th, and 85th percentiles), 5, 7, and 11 vs 6, 8, and 16 days (P < . 001). Witnesses had better 1-year survival (95%; 95% CI, 93%-96%; vs 89%; 95% CI, 87%-90%; P = . 007) but similar 20-year survival (34%; 95% CI, 31%-38%; vs 32% 95% CI, 28%-35%; P = . 90). CONCLUSIONS: Witnesses do not appear to be at increased risk for surgical complications or long-term mortality when comparisons are properly made by transfusion status. Thus, current extreme blood management strategies do not appear to place patients at heightened risk for reduced long-term survival.

When a patient refuses life-saving care: issues raised when treating a Jehovah's Witness.

Patients who are Jehovah's Witnesses frequently cross the path of nephrologists when they are acutely ill in the intensive care unit and stable in the long-term setting. It is important that we as a group have a rudimentary understanding of their philosophy about blood transfusion so that we can be proactive in their management. We use a case as a launching point to discuss the origins of the faith and the decision to refuse blood, as well as potential therapeutic strategies that can be used to improve the care of these patients. Improvement in our understanding as physicians will facilitate a more productive conversation with our patients about a complex and emotional issue.

Strategies and outcomes of cardiac surgery in Jehovah's Witnesses.

BACKGROUND: Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) are a Christian faith, with an estimated 1.1 million members in the United States, well recognized for their refusal of blood and blood products. JW may not be considered for cardiac surgery due to perceived higher risks of morbidity and mortality. This study reviews our contemporary strategies and experience with JW undergoing routine and complex cardiac surgery. METHODS: From November 2001 to April 2010, 40 JW were referred for cardiac surgery at a single quaternary referral institution. A retrospective analysis of demographic data, perioperative management, and clinical outcomes was examined. Published validated clinical risk calculator and model for prediction of transfusion were used to identify high-risk patients (risk of mortality >6% or probability of transfusion >0.80). RESULTS: The mean age was 70 (± 9.5) years with 21 men and 19 women. Patients were classified as high risk (45%, n = 18) and low risk (55%, n = 22) with demographics and comorbidities listed in Table 2. Operative procedures included: isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (n = 19), isolated valve replacement/repair (n = 7), valve/CABG (n = 7), reoperative valve replacement (n = 4), reoperative CABG (n = 2), valve/ascending aorta replacement (n = 1), and CABG/ascending aorta replacement (n = 1). All JW were evaluated by The Department of Bloodless Medicine to individually define acceptable blood management strategies. The mean preoperative hemoglobin was 14.1 g/dL (±1.6). Overall mortality was 5% (n = 2) all of which were in the high-risk group. DISCUSSION: Using a multidisciplinary approach to blood management, JW can safely undergo routine and complex cardiac surgery with minimal morbidity and mortality.