Injection therapies for patellar tendinopathy.

Patellar tendinopathy, or jumper's knee is a common musculoskeletal condition characterized by progressive activity-related pain on the anterior aspect of the knee and tenderness on the patellar tendon. A conservative method is often the first choice of treatment, which can include anti-inflammatory medication, injection therapies, physiotherapy, eccentric exercises, extra corporeal shock wave therapy, orthosis, etc. Although there are several treatment options available, the management of patellar tendinopathy is still controversial. The literature reveals many different injection methods are being used by clinicians for the treatment of patellar tendinopathy. Platelet rich plasma, corticosteroids, autologous blood, and aprotinin are the most commonly used injection treatments. Injection therapies give promising results in the management of Patellar tendinopathy. However, due to low quality research and variation in the protocol and population it is difficult to provide a firm conclusion on its effectiveness. More high-quality clinical studies are recommended to determine the effectiveness of injections and at which stage of Patellar tendinopathy they are the most effective. This review can provide insight to clinicians involved in the management of this condition.

Autodigestion by migrated trypsin is a major factor in small intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury.

BACKGROUND: The pathophysiological role of pancreatic digestive hydrolases in intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is still not clear. Here, we studied whether ischemia-induced injury to the small intestine can be explained by the autodigestion hypothesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mesenteric I/R was induced in rats by superior mesenteric artery occlusion (90 min) and reopening (120 min). Thirty minutes before superior mesenteric artery occlusion, aprotinin (14.7 mg/kg), orlistat (5 mg/kg), and their combination or α1-proteinase inhibitor (60 mg/kg) were injected into the lumen of the small intestine. Systemic and vital parameters, intestinal microcirculation, and mucosal barrier function were monitored during the observation phase; markers of small intestinal injury, as well as trypsin-, chymotrypsin-, elastase-, and lipase-like activities in intestinal effluates were assessed at the end. RESULTS: The pattern of small intestinal injury correlated inversely with the local alterations in microvascular tissue perfusion and corresponded with the intestinal distribution of trypsin-like activity. Aprotinin almost completely inhibited trypsin-like activity (P < 0.05) and significantly reduced intestinal tissue injury. Combined with orlistat, it also increased the postischemic blood pressure (P < 0.05) but not the intestinal barrier function. Macroscopic as well as the histologic alterations were decreased by α1-proteinase inhibitor, which significantly improved postischemic blood pressure (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The I/R-induced pattern of small intestinal injury is likely to result from both local differences in tissue ischemia and the digestive activity of migrated pancreatic trypsin. Therefore, administration of aprotinin and orlistat into ischemic small intestines may be a therapeutic option in patients with a poor diagnosis.

Fibrinogen/thrombin-based collagen fleece (TachoComb(R)) promotes regeneration in pulmonary arterial injury.

OBJECTIVES: To repair unexpected damage of the pulmonary artery (PA) during thoracic surgery, fibrinogen/thrombin-based collagen fleece (TachoComb(®) [TC]) can be applied as a haemostatic material. The progression of vessel restoration with TC has not been elucidated. In this study, we investigate details of the healing process with TC after PA injury using a canine model. METHODS: Left thoracotomy was performed on female beagles under general anaesthesia. PA injury was induced and repaired using TC. Repair sites were histologically evaluated 2, 4 and 8 weeks after surgery (n = 3 in each group). RESULTS: Haemostasis of PA injury was achieved promptly after TC application. After surgery, no bleeding was found in the thoracic cavity, and no repair sites revealed stenosis, thrombi or false aneurism formation. Two weeks after surgery, inflammatory cells had infiltrated around the vascular defect, and vascular endothelium had regenerated on the innermost surface of TC applied to the defect. At Week 4, elastic and smooth muscle fibres had begun to extend into the defect between the endothelial layer and collagen fleece. By Week 8, elastic fibres and smooth muscle had completely regenerated in the medial layer. The adventitial layer had also fully regenerated. CONCLUSIONS: Haemostasis of injured PA using TC was safe and reliable. TC provided a mechanical scaffold on which vascular regeneration occurred. Three layers reconstructed in the PA defect were identical to those in normal structures.

Sangre y Cirugía. EStrategia de Ahorro en cirugía cardiaca / Blood and Surgery. Strategic saving in cardiac surgery

El incremento de intervenciones quirúrgicas y su mayor complejidad y agresividad, especialmente en cirugía cardiovascular y trasplantes, junto con el envejecimiento de la población ha supuesto un considerable aumento de la demanda de transfusión sanguínea y derivados hemáticos. Los riesgos médicos inherentes al uso de sangre homóloga, el rechazo por motivaciones personales, éticas o creencias religiosas y una insuficiente disponibilidad de hemoderivados consecuencia de la escasezde donaciones, ha condicionado la necesidad del desarrollo de procesos de ahorro de sangre en cirugía y la búsqueda de técnicas alternativas a la transfusión. Problemática que alcanza su máxima expresión en cirugía cardiaca bajo circulación extracorpórea, como consecuencia del alto consumo de sangre de los enfermos cardiológicos intervenidos. Con la experiencia que aporta un promedio de quinientas cirugías anuales de corazón se realiza una revisión sobre las diferentes medidas y procedimientos asociados al ahorro de sangre en cirugía, especialmente en cirugía cardiovascular (AU)

The increase in the number of operations and their greater complexity and aggressiveness, especially in cardiovascular surgery and transplants, together with the aging of the population, has entailed an increase in the demand for transfusion and haematological derivates. The inherent medical risks of homolog blood usage, rejection for personal motivations, ethical and religious beliefs and insufficient availability of haematological derivates as a consequence of the shortage of donations, have conditioned the necessity for the development of processes for saving blood during surgery and the search for alternative techniques to transfusion. This is a problem which has its highest repercussions in cardiac surgery with cardio-pulmonary by-pass because of the high consumption of blood of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. With the experience of approximately 500 operations per year a review of the different measures and procedures associated with saving blood in surgery has been carried out, especially with regard to cardiovascular surgery (AU)

Tranexamic acid: an alternative to aprotinin as antifibrinolytic therapy in pediatric congenital heart surgery.

OBJECTIVE: There has been concern about the usage of aprotinin, an antifibrinolytic drug that was often used in pediatric cardiac surgery until 2006. At our center, these concerns led to the replacement of aprotinin with tranexamic acid for antifibrinolytic treatment. METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, two groups of pediatric patients were studied during two different periods, receiving either aprotinin (n=70) or tranexamic acid (n=70) upon cardiac surgery. Data were collected from children with cyanotic heart defects, children who weighed less than 10 kg, and children who underwent re-operation. RESULTS: There was no difference in terms of blood loss or amount of erythrocyte concentrates and fresh frozen plasma transfused. Only the intraoperative amount of platelet concentrate received by children in the tranexamic acid group was 29 ml (p=0.013) higher. There was no significant difference in the length of stay at the intensive care unit, in renal function values, or in the rate of rethoracotomy. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that tranexamic acid represents an adequate alternative to aprotinin in congenital cardiac surgery.

Aprotinin combined with nitric oxide and prostaglandin E1 protects the canine kidney from cardiopulmonary bypass-induced injury.

OBJECTIVE: Aprotinin is frequently used to reduce blood loss during cardiac surgery; however, it also causes renal injury. Since aprotinin reduces nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin I(2) (PGI(2)), and both cause vasodilation and inhibit activation of neutrophils and platelets, their reduction may be responsible for the injury. This study was to determine whether the combination of aprotinin with NO and prostaglandin E(1) (PGE(1), an analogue of PGI(2)) can attenuate renal injury associated with aprotinin during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). METHODS: Thirty mongrel dogs were equally divided into five groups, with each group receiving CPB and aprotinin, NO, PGE(1), a combination of the three or no treatment (control). Serum creatinine and creatinine clearance were determined. To elucidate the mechanism, neutrophil, platelet and thrombin activations were also assessed. RESULTS: After CPB, serum creatinine increased and creatinine clearance decreased in all dogs. These changes were similar among the NO, PGE(1), aprotinin and control groups, but were significantly smaller in the combination group. Similarly, myeloperoxidase activities in tissues, CD11b expression, plasma elastase, prothrombin fragment (PTF) 1+2 and platelet activation factor were lower, whereas neutrophil and platelet counts were higher in the combination group than in the other groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Aprotinin combined with NO and PGE(1) produced synergistic protective effects and improved renal function, due partly to inhibition of platelet and neutrophil activation and suppression of thrombin formation.

[Successful use of recombinant factor VIIa in the control of a massive bleeding in two patients with biventricular assist device (Thoratec)]. / Utilisation bénéfique de facteur VIIa recombinant chez deux patients porteurs d'une assistance biventriculaire (Thoratec).

Massive bleeding is a dreaded complication of biventricular mechanical assistance implantation. Its origin is multifactorial. Blood products transfusion associated with correction of coagulopathy are sometimes insufficient. We report two cases of massive bleeding after a Thoratec biventricular assistance implantation. After surgical haemostasis failure and despite the correction of coagulation disorders, a major bleeding persisted, so these patients received a single injection of 90 microg/kg of rFVIIa. This allowed in both cases a significant reduction of the bleeding and the restoration of normal haemodynamic conditions. This treatment was not complicated by any thrombotic accident.

[Blood conservation approaches in orthopedic surgery]. / Epargne transfusionnelle en chirurgie orthopédique.

In addition to more restrictive "transfusion triggers", presently available allogeneic blood conservation strategies in surgery include preoperative increase in red blood cells (RBC) mass, techniques or pharmaceutical agents that reduce blood loss, and perioperative blood salvage. Because of very important risk reduction in allogeneic blood, benefit/risk of preautologous blood donation (PAD) is quite questionable at this moment. Indeed, at this moment in France, we focus to avoid any transfusion (allogeneic and autologous blood). Therefore the most important techniques used are pharmacological: erythropoietin before surgery with a number of injections related to baseline Hb, and tranexamic acid during and after surgery. Cell saving is used only if bleeding is enough important like arthroplasty revisions. All blood conservation techniques carry their own efficiency limits, constraints and risks that, in addition to institutional considerations and individual patient characteristics are determinant to settle a blood conservation strategy. The choice of a technique should take into account (a) the delay before surgery, (b) the anticipated blood loss for the procedure that varies among institutions, (c) the tolerable blood loss without transfusion for the patient, and (d) the efficacy of the blood conservation technique in the given setting. Nevertheless, at this moment in France, it is quite important to notice that the risk of delay or lack of transfusion induces much more deaths that the transfusion itself during or after anesthesia [Anesthesiology 105, 1087-97].

Toward reducing perioperative transfusions.

Even though the supply of blood products has never been safer, disease transmission remains the chief patient concern about transfusions. The primary concerns for anesthetists center on risks associated with blood transfusions, such as transfusion-related acute lung injury, anaphylactic transfusion reaction, clerical errors resulting in ABO incompatibility, and blood products contaminated with infectious organisms. These concerns, combined with patients' religious tenets and other factors, have contributed to renewed efforts to minimize blood transfusion without negative patient consequences. Achieving this goal requires a concerted effort by surgeons, perioperative nurses, and anesthesia providers.

Effectiveness of treatment to prevent adhesions after abdominal surgery: an experimental evaluation in rats.

This study was conducted to determine the probability of adhesion formation with certain materials after abdominopelvic surgery, and to assess the effectiveness of adhesion-preventing agents. The study included 2 phases. In the first phase of the study, 50 rats that had been divided into 5 groups were examined. Group 1 served as the control group. In group 2, 2 mL blood was taken from the femoral vein of the rat; in group 3, 0.0625 g talcum powder was mixed with 2 mL saline; in group 4, 2 mL ileal content was identified; and in group 5, 2 mL cecal content had spilled into the peritoneum. In the second phase of the study, 50 rats that had been divided into 5 groups were examined. Ileal content was the leading cause of intraperitoneal adhesions in the first phase; in the second phase, in group 1, 2 mL ileal content and 5 mL povidone-iodine (10%) were used; in group 2, 2 mL ileal content and 5000 units aprotinin were mixed with 5 mL saline; in group 3, 2 mL ileal content and 25 IU heparin (5000 IU/L) were mixed with 5 mL saline; in group 4, 2 mL ileal content and 5 mL 32% dextran 70 were combined; and in group 5, 2 mL ileal content was used together with 5 mL Ringer's lactate. On postoperative day 14, the rats were killed with the use of high-dose intramuscular ketamine, and necropsies were performed on all rats. Adhesions were most often established because of ileal and cecal contents. Blood and talcum powder produced less adhesion formation. Heparin and 32% dextran 70 were significantly more effective at preventing adhesion formation due to ileal contents. Intraperitoneal heparin and 32% dextran 70 may be particularly valuable for the prevention of adhesions due to intestinal content in cases with no contraindications.

Effects of vitamin e, pentoxifylline and aprotinin on light-induced retinal injury.

PURPOSE: A considerable amount of clinical and experimental evidence exists suggesting the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the etiology of light-induced retinal injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective role of vitamin E, pentoxifylline (PTX) and aprotinin against light-induced retinal injury in guinea pigs. METHODS: Thirty adult male guinea pigs were divided into 5 groups of 6 animals each. The first group was used as control. The guinea pigs were kept in cyclic light for 2 weeks before the experiments. The animals were maintained in 12-hour light-dark cycles, before and after exposure to intense white fluorescent light, for as long as 12 h and then returned to cyclic light. Groups 3-5 received intraperitoneal injections of vitamin E, PTX and aprotinin, respectively. One eye of each animal was selected for histopathological evaluation and the other for biochemical assay. Retinal malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and the thickness of the outer nuclear layers were measured. RESULTS: The compounds had the following relationships: vitamin E more than PTX more than aprotinin in preventing light-induced retinal damage. All 3 gave significant protection against the formation of MDA. Retinas of all 3 treatment groups had been protected from light-induced injury. CONCLUSION: The intraperitoneal vitamin E, PTX and aprotinin supplementations may strengthen the antioxidant defense system because of decreased ROS, and these agents may play a role in treating light-induced retinal injury.

Cost-effectiveness of cell salvage and alternative methods of minimising perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion: a systematic review and economic model.

OBJECTIVES: To compare patient outcomes, resource use and costs to the NHS and NHS Blood Transfusion Authority (BTA) associated with cell salvage and alternative methods of minimising perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion. DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases covering the period 1996-2004 for systematic reviews and 1994-2004 for economic evidence. REVIEW METHODS: Existing systematic reviews were updated with data from selected randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that involved adults scheduled for elective non-urgent surgery. Any resource use or cost data were extracted for potential use in populating an economic model. Relative risks or weighted mean difference of each outcome for each intervention were assessed, taking into account the number of RCTs included in each outcome and intervention and the presence of any heterogeneity. This allowed indirect comparison of the relative effectiveness of each intervention when the intervention is compared with allogeneic blood transfusion. A decision analytic model synthesised clinical and economic data from several sources, to estimate the relative cost-effectiveness of cell salvage for people undergoing elective surgery with moderate to major expected blood loss. The perspective of the NHS and patients and a time horizon of 1 month were used. The economic model was developed from reviews of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness and clinical experts. Secondary analysis explored the robustness of the results to changes in the timing and costs of cell salvage equipment, surgical procedure, use of transfusion protocols and time horizon of analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 668 studies were identified electronically for the update of the two systematic reviews. This included five RCTs, of which two were cell salvage and three preoperative autologous donation (PAD). Five published systematic reviews were identified for antifibrinolytics, fibrin sealants and restrictive transfusion triggers, PAD plus erythropoietin, erythropoietin alone and acute normovolaemic haemodilution (ANH). Twelve published studies reported full economic evaluations. All but two of the transfusion strategies significantly reduced exposure to allogeneic blood. The relative risk of exposure to allogeneic blood was 0.59 for the pooled trials of cell salvage (95% confidence interval: 0.48 to 0.73). This varied by the type and timing of cell salvage and type of surgical procedure. For cell salvage, the relative risk of allogeneic blood transfusion was higher in cardiac surgery than in orthopaedic surgery. Cell salvage had lower costs and slightly higher quality-adjusted life years compared with all of the alternative transfusion strategies except ANH. The likelihood that cell salvage is cost-effective compared with strategies other than ANH is over 50%. Most of the secondary analyses indicated similar results to the primary analysis. However, the primary and secondary analyses indicated that ANH may be more cost-effective than cell salvage. CONCLUSIONS: The available evidence indicates that cell salvage may be a cost-effective method to reduce exposure to allogeneic blood transfusion. However, ANH may be more cost-effective than cell salvage. The results of this analysis are subject to the low quality and reliability of the data used and the use of indirect comparisons. This may affect the reliability and robustness of the clinical and economic results. There is a need for further research that includes adequately powered high-quality RCTs to compare directly various blood transfusion strategies. These should include measures of health status, health-related quality of life and patient preferences for alternative transfusion strategies. Observational and tracking studies are needed to estimate reliably the incidence of adverse events and infections transmitted during blood transfusion and to identify the lifetime consequences of the serious hazards of transfusion on mortality, health status and health-related quality of life.

[The "Seville" Consensus Document on Alternatives to Allogenic Blood Transfusion. Sociedades españolas de Anestesiología (SEDAR), Medicina Intensiva (SEMICYUC), Hematología y Hemoterapia (AEHH), Transfusión sanguínea (SETS) Trombosis y Hemostasia (SETH)]. / Documento «Sevilla¼ de Consenso sobre Alternativas a la Transfusión de Sangre Alogénica.

The Consensus Document on Alternatives to Allogenic Blood Transfusion (AABT) has been drawn up by a panel of experts from 5 scientific societies. The Spanish Societies of Anesthesiology (SEDAR), Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC), Hematology and Hemotherapy (AEHH), Blood Transfusion (SETS) and Thrombosis and Hemostasis (SETH) have sponsored and participated in this Consensus Document. Alternatives to blood transfusion have been divided into pharmacological and non-pharmacological, with 4 modules and 12 topics. The main objective variable was the reduction of allogenic blood transfusions and/or the number of transfused patients. The extent to which this objective was achieved by each AABT was evaluated using the Delphi method, which classifies the grade of recommendation from A (supported by controlled studies) to E (non-controlled studies and expert opinion). The experts concluded that most of the indications for AABT were based on middle or low grades of recommendation, "C", "D", or "E", thus indicating the need for further controlled studies.

Documento «Sevilla» de Consenso sobre Alternativas a la Transfusión de Sangre Alogénica / The «Seville» Consensus Document on Alternatives to Allogenic Blood Transfusion

El Documento de Consenso sobre Alternativas a la Transfusión de Sangre Alogénica (ATSA) ha sido elaborado por un panel de expertos pertenecientes a 5 sociedades científicas. Han participado y patrocinado las sociedades españolas de Anestesiología (SEDAR), Medicina Intensiva (SEMICYUC), Hematología y Hemoterapia (AEHH), Transfusión sanguínea (SETS) y Trombosis y Hemostasia (SETH). Las alternativas a la transfusión se han clasificado en farmacológicas y no farmacológicas, con un total de 4 módulos y 12 tópicos. La disminución de las transfusiones de sangre alogénica y/o el número de pacientes transfundidos fue la principal variable objetivo. El grado de cumplimiento de este objetivo, para cada ATSA, se llevó a cabo siguiendo la metodología Delphi, que clasifica el grado de recomendación desde «A» (apoyado por estudios controlados) hasta «E» (estudios no controlados y opinión de expertos). Los expertos concluyeron que la mayor parte de las indicaciones de las ATSA se sustentan en grados de recomendación medios y bajos, «C», «D» o «E», precisándose nuevos estudios controlados (AU)

The Consensus Document on Alternatives to Allogenic Blood Transfusion (AABT) has been drawn up by a panel of experts from 5 scientific societies. The Spanish Societies of Anesthesiology (SEDAR), Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC), Hematology and Hemotherapy (AEHH), Blood Transfusion (SETS) and Thrombosis and Hemostasis (SETH) have sponsored and participated in this Consensus Document. Alternatives to blood transfusion have been divided into pharmacological and non-pharmacological, with 4 modules and 12 topics. The main objective variable was the reduction of allogenic blood transfusions and/or the number of transfused patients. The extent to which this objective was achieved by each AABT was evaluated using the Delphi method, which classifies the grade of recommendation from A (supported by controlled studies) to E (non-controlled studies and expert opinion). The experts concluded that most of the indications for AABT were based on middle or low grades of recommendation, «C», «D», or «E», thus indicating the need for further controlled studies (AU)

Transfusion therapy in the intensive care unit.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Transfusion therapy in the intensive care unit is an ever-growing field, with new understanding of potential complications, new drug therapies to reduce the need for transfusion, and new additions in component therapy. In addition to the risks of sepsis, ABO blood group mismatch, and other complications associated with transfusion, the intensivist needs to be familiar with alternative therapies to minimize transfusion. RECENT FINDINGS: Transfusion-related acute lung injury and immunosuppression are two newly recognized complications in transfusion. Transfusion-related acute lung injury can lead to respiratory failure in an acute respiratory distress syndrome-like picture, often necessitating intubation and critical care services. Immunosuppression following transfusion has been linked to cytokine and complement activation. Recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEPO, Epogen, Procrit), by maximizing red cell counts, and aprotinin (Trasylol), by inhibiting fibrinolysis, are two old drugs being used with increasing frequency in a new setting: the intensive care unit. A new component therapy, recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa, NovoSeven), assists in turning on the extrinsic pathway of the coagulation cascade. SUMMARY: Recognizing early signs of transfusion-related acute lung injury may aid in the treatment and reporting of this entity. Realizing the mechanism and severity of immunosuppression associated with transfusion may alter transfusion triggers in the intensive care unit. rHuEPO and aprotinin are now being used with increasing frequency to increase red cell counts and minimize the need for transfusion. Recombinant factor FVIIa targets coagulation cascade activation which helps to reduce the number of units of blood products transfused in the actively bleeding patient.

The use of therapeutic medications for soft-tissue injuries in sports medicine.

The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat most muscle, ligament and tendon injuries should be reassessed. They have, at best, a mild effect on relieving symptoms and are potentially deleterious to tissue healing. Soft-tissue injury associated with definite inflammatory conditions such as bursitis or synovitis or involving nerve impingement does warrant short-term treatment with NSAIDs. Paracetamol has similar efficacy to NSAIDs in soft-tissue injury, is cheaper, and has a lower side-effect profile. It is the analgesic of choice for most soft-tissue injury. Cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors should not be used to treat soft-tissue injuries unless impingement is a major feature and non-selective NSAIDs are contraindicated (eg, coexisting gastric disorder), and the patient is not at cardiovascular risk. Corticosteroid injections for tendon injuries may achieve a mild to moderate reduction in pain for up to 6 weeks. However, they do not promote tendon healing, so should generally be used only when healing is not a critical goal. Promising new therapeutic treatments for soft-tissue injuries include topical glyceryl trinitrate, aprotinin injections, and prolotherapy.

Reducing allogeneic transfusion in cardiac surgery: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of antifibrinolytic therapies used in addition to intra-operative cell salvage.

BACKGROUND: The transfusion of allogeneic red blood cells and allogeneic coagulation products is associated with risk to the patient and the depletion of an increasingly scarce resource. This prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigated practices to avoid transfusion in patients undergoing first-time cardiac surgery. METHODS: Patients were randomized to one of three treatment groups: an aprotinin group, a tranexamic acid group, and a control group receiving normal saline. Intra-operative cell salvage was used for all patients. The primary outcomes were the number of patients exposed to allogeneic red blood cells, allogeneic coagulation products or any allogeneic transfusion (allogeneic red blood cells and/or allogeneic coagulation products). RESULTS: Patients were 2.5 times more likely to receive any allogeneic transfusion in the tranexamic group than in the aprotinin group (21 patients out of 60 compared with nine out of 60, respectively). The relative risk of any allogeneic transfusion comparing aprotinin with tranexamic acid was 0.43 (95% confidence interval 0.21-0.86; P=0.019). Patients in the control group were four times more likely to receive any allogeneic transfusion when compared with the aprotinin group (37 patients out of 60 compared with nine out of 60, respectively). The relative risk of any allogeneic transfusion comparing aprotinin with control was 0.24 (95% confidence interval 0.13-0.46; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: When used in addition to intra-operative cell salvage, aprotinin is the most efficacious pharmacological therapy for reducing patient exposure to any allogeneic transfusion during first-time cardiac surgery.