Carta al director sobre «Eficacia y seguridad de la aplicación del ácido tranexámico tópico en la artroplastia primaria no cementada de cadera: estudio prospectivo, aleatorizado, doble ciego y controlado» / Letter to the Editor on «Efficacy and safety of the topical application of tranexamic acid in primary cementless hip arthroplasty: prospective, randomised, double-blind and controlled study»

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Determination of Perioperative Blood Loss: Accuracy or Approximation?

BACKGROUND: Various different interventions can be used to reduce surgical blood loss; however, there is no "gold standard" for accurately measuring the volume of perioperative blood loss, and this makes it difficult to assess the efficacy of these interventions. METHODS: We used data from a previous multicenter double-blind randomized clinical trial in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty in which we compared 2 regimens for administering tranexamic acid versus placebo. We assessed direct measures (external blood loss) and indirect estimates (using the formulas of Bourke, Gross, Mercuriali, and Camarasa and a new formula we have developed) using analysis of variance to compare estimated volumes of blood loss among the study groups. In addition, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman diagrams were used to compare the estimated volumes of blood loss obtained with each formula. RESULTS: The mean estimated external blood loss was 909 ± 324 mL, and the mean estimates of blood loss calculated using the formulas of Gross, Bourke and Smith, and Camarasa were 1308 ± 555, 1091 ± 454, and 1641 ± 945 mL, respectively, whereas we obtained a value of 1511 ± 919 mL with the new formula at day 2. In all cases, the results favored the use of tranexamic acid (P < .0001). Comparing results of the new and other formulas, we found moderate-to-low agreement (in terms of ICCs) except for that of Camarasa (ICC: 0.992). The limits of agreement with the new formula ranged from -378 to 93 in the case of the comparison with Camarasa's formula and from -2226 to 959 for external blood loss, the difference depending on the magnitude of the estimate to a large extent. CONCLUSIONS: Formulas that take into account both anthropometric and laboratory parameters are useful for evaluating the efficacy of interventions aiming to decrease blood loss but do not ensure that the values obtained are sufficiently accurate for absolute measuring.

Valoración de la implementación de programa de ahorro de sangre en cirugía ortopédica / Assessment of the introduction of a blood management program in orthopaedic surgery

Objetivo. Describir el impacto de la introducción de un programa de ahorro de sangre (PAS) en las transfusiones, estancias hospitalarias y complicaciones debidas a la artroplastia total de cadera (ATC) y artroplastia total de rodilla (ATR). Material y métodos. Estudio observacional retrospectivo en el Hospital Universitario Araba, de 2006 a 2011. Se recogieron todas las ATR y ATC. La variable principal fue el porcentaje de pacientes transfundidos con sangre alogénica. Como variables secundarias se recogió la media de bolsas transfundidas, transfusiones totales (alogénica y/o autóloga), las complicaciones (totales y específicas), la edad y el sexo de los pacientes, hemoglobina prequirúrgica y al alta y la estancia hospitalaria. Resultados. Se incluyeron un total un total de 825 ATC y 875 ATR. Tanto en ATC (47,6% en 2006 y 30,6% en 2011; p = 0,013) como ATR (33,6% en 2006 y 16,2% en 2011; p < 0,001) se produjo una disminución significativa en las transfusiones alogénicas. Las transfusiones totales también disminuyeron en ATC (65,7% en 2006 y 39,5% en 2011; p < 0,001) y ATR (38,3% en 2006 y 17,2% en 2011; p < 0,001). La estancia disminuyó en ambas cirugías (p = 0,038 en ATC y p < 0,0001 en ATR). En 2006 fue de 9,2 ± 2,9 días en ATC y 11,1 ± 4,7 días en ATR, mientras que en 2011 fue de 8,7 ± 4,2 y 9,5 ± 3,4 días para ATC y ATR respectivamente. Conclusiones. La implementación del PAS, y sus aportaciones consecutivas, ha reducido significativamente el porcentaje de pacientes que requieren transfusiones, tanto alogénicas como autólogas. La estancia media disminuyó aunque no pueda establecerse el impacto del PAS en las mismas (AU)

Objective. To assess the impact of implementing a Patient Blood management program (PBM) on transfusion rates, hospital stay, and complications for total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Material and methods. A retrospective, observational study was conducted in Araba University Hospital from 2006 to 2011. All THA and TKA were included. The percentage of patients transfused with allogeneic blood was the primary endpoint. The mean of transfused blood bags, overall transfusion, complications (both overall and specific), patient age and sex, pre-operative and discharge hemoglobin, and hospital stay were recorded. Results. A total of 825 THA and 875 TKA were included. Both THA (47.6% in 2006 and 30.6% in 2011; P = .013) and TKA (33.6% in 2006 and 16.2% in 2011; P < .001) showed a significant decrease of allogeneic transfusion. The overall transfusion rate was also reduced in THA (65.7% in 2006 and 39.5% in 2011; P < .001) and TKA (38.3% in 2006 and 17.2% in 2011; P < .001). Hospital stay was reduced in both types of surgeries (P < .038 in THA and P < .0001 in TKA). In 2006 it was 9.2 ± 2.9 days for THA and 11.1 ± 4.7 days for TKA, whereas in 2011 it was 8.7 ± 4.2 and 9.5 ± 3.4 days for THA and TKA, respectively. Conclusions. Our patient blood management has decreased the percentage of patients that need both allogeneic and autologous transfusion in a statistically significant way. Although the mean hospital stay decreased, the impact of the PBM cannot be established (AU)

Assessment of the introduction of a blood management program in orthopaedic surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of implementing a Patient Blood management program (PBM) on transfusion rates, hospital stay, and complications for total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective, observational study was conducted in Araba University Hospital from 2006 to 2011. All THA and TKA were included. The percentage of patients transfused with allogeneic blood was the primary endpoint. The mean of transfused blood bags, overall transfusion, complications (both overall and specific), patient age and sex, pre-operative and discharge hemoglobin, and hospital stay were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 825 THA and 875 TKA were included. Both THA (47.6% in 2006 and 30.6% in 2011; P=.013) and TKA (33.6% in 2006 and 16.2% in 2011; P<.001) showed a significant decrease of allogeneic transfusion. The overall transfusion rate was also reduced in THA (65.7% in 2006 and 39.5% in 2011; P<.001) and TKA (38.3% in 2006 and 17.2% in 2011; P<.001). Hospital stay was reduced in both types of surgeries (P<.038 in THA and P<.0001 in TKA). In 2006 it was 9.2±2.9 days for THA and 11.1±4.7 days for TKA, whereas in 2011 it was 8.7±4.2 and 9.5±3.4 days for THA and TKA, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our patient blood management has decreased the percentage of patients that need both allogeneic and autologous transfusion in a statistically significant way. Although the mean hospital stay decreased, the impact of the PBM cannot be established.