Application of the McCluskey Index to predict blood product requirements during liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: A recent study proposed a risk index (McCluskey index) based on 7 parameters to identify the transfusion needs of patients during surgery and in the first 24 hours postoperation. The initial objective of our study was to validate this predictor for blood product transfusions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We undertook a retrospective, observational study of all liver transplant patients between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2006. The following variables were recorded for each patient: age, gender, patient comorbidity, biochemical values prior to liver transplantation, and transfusion needs. RESULTS: Comparing the transfusion needs of those patients with scores <5 with those of scores >/=5, we observed significant differences in terms of the use of red blood cell concentrates, plasma, and platelets, both during the first 24 hours and in the total number. The index sensitivity was 80% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 71.23-88.76), with a specificity of 84.21% (95% CI: 67.81-100), where the positive predictive value was 95.52% (95% CI: 90.57-100.4) and the negative predictive value was 50% (95% CI: 32.67-67.32). CONCLUSION: The McCluskey index showed sufficient sensitivity and specificity to predict which patients will require a massive transfusion.

[Postoperative care in portal hypertension surgery (author's transl)]. / Cuidados postoperatorios en la cirugía de la hipertensión portal.

The postoperative courses of 26 patients admitted to an Intensive Care Unit after different types of surgery on their portal tree are studied. All were diagnosed as having portal hypertension secondary to chronic liver disease and had presented one or more episodes of bleeding. Those complications of greater risk with an important early mortality rate are: 1) recurrence of the gastrointestinal hemorrhage, independently of the type of lesion which originates it; 2) recurrence of ascites because these patients more often develop dehiscence of the abdominal wall, serious dilutional hyponatremia and severe functional renal insufficiency; 3) acute renal failure, both functional or caused by an organic tubulo-interstitial nephropathy; 4) peritonitis; 5) persistent hepatolytic episode; 6) hyperdynamic heart failure; and 7) re-operations in general, independently of the causes. The frequency of these complications and the greater or lesser seriousness of their development in the postoperative period are dependent on: 1) the age of the patient with a better prognosis for those under 50; 2) the histopathologic type of the hepatic lesion, with hepatic fibrosis having a more favourable evolution in comparison with cirrhosis; 3) the degree of decompensation of the hepatopathy immediately before the operation, evaluating signs of functional hepatic deficit, cytolysis and degree of portal hypertension. The greater the preoperative activity, the worse the postsurgical prognosis. 4) The elective or urgent character of the surgery. During the postoperative course of emergency surgery all types of complications may appear. The emergency operation which has effectively achieved the stopping of the esophageal bleeding has been the porto-azygos disconnection, which allows later a portosystemic shunt with a greater probability of success. 5) The type of anastomosis carried out. Radicular shunts were those which had a lower postoperative mortality rate and those which progressed better because of the small number of problems occurring in the early postoperative period.