Perioperative management of a patient with Glanzmann thrombasthenia undergoing a coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a case report.

: We report herein the successful perioperative management of a 57-year-old man with a type I Glanzmann thrombasthenia undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery and right carotid endarterectomy. The patient suffered from several lesions in the three major coronary arteries and in the right carotid necessitating surgery. Prophylactic human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched platelets transfusions were continuous administrated before, and through the immediate perioperative period. Posttransfusion platelet recovery was monitored using flow cytometry to determine the percentage of circulating platelet expressing CD61 (ß3). No bleeding complications occurred during and following the procedure. The patient did not develop HLA antibodies or αIIbß3 antibodies. Thrombophilia screening revealed a heterozygous G20210A prothrombin gene mutation. The patient also suffered from an atrial fibrillation, necessitating anticoagulation therapy. During the hospital stay, a treatment with vitamin K antagonists for stroke prevention was initiated. The patient was discharged 8 days following surgery, and no further complications occurred during the 6 months follow-up.

The effect of universal leukodepletion of packed red blood cells on postoperative infections in high-risk patients undergoing abdominal aortic surgery.

UNLABELLED: We evaluated, by using a before-and-after study, the influence of leukoreduction by filtration on postoperative infections and adverse outcomes in patients undergoing elective major aortic surgery. From January 1995 to October 2000, all patients who underwent elective abdominal aortic surgery were included in the analysis. Before the introduction of systematic leukodepletion of packed red blood cells (RBCs), on April 1, 1998, 192 patients received standard or buffy-coat-depleted packed RBCs. Then, 195 patients were transfused with exclusively filtered leukodepleted packed RBCs. No major significant difference was observed between the groups of patients with regard to preoperative cardiac and pulmonary status, anesthetic and surgical techniques, or transfusion policy. No significant difference in mortality was observed between the two groups. The incidence of postoperative infections was 31% (95% confidence interval, 25%--38%) in the Control group versus 27% (95% confidence interval, 21%--33%) in the Leukodepleted group; severe infectious complications and pneumonia were not significantly different between the two groups of patients. Cardiovascular and respiratory outcomes were not significantly different between the groups. Data from this study suggest that the effect of using leukodepleted RBC on postoperative infections is not of obvious importance. IMPLICATIONS: We evaluated the influence of leukocyte reduction by filtration of packed red blood cells (RBC) on postoperative infections and adverse outcomes in patients undergoing elective major aortic surgery by comparing two epochs with and without filtration. Data from this study suggest that the effect of using filtered RBC on postoperative infections is not of obvious importance.