Finding the optimal regimen for short-term daily recombinant human erythropoietin treatment for blood-saving purpose in patients undergoing unilateral primary total hip arthroplasty: a double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To find the best short-term daily recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO)-based treatment protocols for blood-saving purpose in THA. METHOD: The patients were randomized to 1 of 3 interventions: Patients in group A received 10,000 IU (150 IU/kg) of subcutaneous rhEPO (1 ml) daily from 5 days preoperatively to 3 days postoperatively (9 doses in total); Patients in group B received 1 ml of subcutaneous normal saline daily from 5 days preoperatively to 3 days preoperatively and then 10,000 IU (150 IU/kg) of subcutaneous rhEPO daily until 3 days postoperatively (6 doses in total). Patients in group C received 1 ml of subcutaneous normal saline daily from 5 days preoperatively to one day preoperatively and then 10,000 IU (150 IU/kg) of subcutaneous rhEPO daily from the day of surgery to 3 days postoperatively (4 doses in total). RESULTS: One hundred eighty patients were included. On postoperative day one, patients in the group A showed significantly higher Hb level (108.4 ± 11.4 g/L) than group C (103.9 ± 8.8 g/L). Group B (107.8 ± 8.4 g/L) also showed significantly higher Hb level than group C (103.9 ± 8.8 g/L) (p < 0.05). On postoperative day 3, no significant difference was found between group B and group C in Hb level (98.7 ± 10.5 and 94.9 ± 8.7 g/L, respectively) (p = 0.094), but the Hb level in group A (103.6 ± 11.0 g/L) was still markedly higher than in group B and the Hb level in group A was also markedly higher than in group C. In terms of blood loss, no markedly difference was found in intraoperative blood loss among group A, B and C (78.3 ± 22.4, 84.6 ± 29.1, and 80.3 ± 23.9 ml, respectively) (p = 0.381), but on postoperative day one, the mean blood loss in group C (522.4 ± 189.4 ml) was significantly more than group B (371.2 ± 124.6 ml), and group B was also significantly more than group A (284.8 ± 112.9 ml) with 95% confidence interval, and group B had significantly less blood loss than group C (p < 0.001). With respect to the total blood loss, the total blood loss in group C (881.6 ± 314.9 ml) was significantly more than group B (642.6 ± 232.9 ml), and group B was also significantly more than group A (514.5 ± 204.6 ml) with 95% confidence interval (Table 2). Only 2 patients in each group received allogeneic blood transfusion and each patient received 2 units of red blood cells, so, the transfusion requirements among the three groups were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: Daily small-dose of subcutaneous rhEPO administered from 5 days before THA could significantly decrease perioperative blood loss and improve postoperative Hb levels, without increasing risks of complications, when compared with the application of rhEPO from 3 days before THA or from the day of surgery. However, surgeons should choose the regimen individually according to different patients' personal circumstances.

[Perioperative risk factors of bleeding in extensive liver resections]. / Perioperatsionnye faktory riska krovotecheniya pri obshirnykh rezektsiyakh pecheni.

OBJECTIVE: To study the risk factors of severe blood loss in extensive liver resections, consequences of hemorrhagic problems and their correction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 374 patients. Group 1 comprised 282 patients (118 men and 164 women aged 54.1±0.7 years) who underwent surgery between 2000 and 2012. Group 2 included 92 patients (34 women and 58 men aged 53.6±1.3 years) operated on for the period 2013-2019. RESULTS: Technical equipment for mobilization and dissection of hepatic parenchyma has fundamentally changed for the period 2013-2019. This processes reduced blood loss by more 50% and consumption of donor blood components (red blood cells by 2.8 times, FFP by 1.8 times). Compression of hepatoduodenal ligament (Pringle maneuver) and tumor type did not affect intraoperative blood loss. Neoplasms over 10 cm increased blood loss. An increase in the number of resected segments by 2 times contributed to increase of blood loss by 2.7 times. Body mass index >25 kg/m2 was also associated with higher blood loss.

[Blood-saving technologies in extensive liver resections]. / Taktika krovosberezheniya pri obshirnykh rezektsiyakh pecheni.

The researches devoted to blood-saving technologies in extensive liver resections are analyzed in the manuscript. Resection of three and more liver segments is effective method of surgical treatment of various focal liver lesions. Surgical (anatomical resection with hilar glissonean access, Pringle maneuver, modern technical equipment, etc.), anesthesiological (reduction of central venous pressure, hemostatic agents) and transfusion (autologous blood donation, transfusion, cell saver, etc.) methods contribute to prevention and reduction of blood loss. Intraoperative measures for blood loss prevention should include adequate surgical incision and liver mobilization, precise techniques of parenchymal dissection (for example, cavitation surgical aspirator-destructor), use of clip applicators and local or systemic hemostatic agents.

The Effect of Hypotensive Anesthesia on Hemoglobin Levels during Total Knee Arthroplasty.

INTRODUCTION: Hypotensive epidural anesthesia (HEA) is used in total joint arthroplasty as a safe and effective blood-saving modality. In order to maintain the blood pressure and heart rate patients, receive 1000 to 1500 mL of lactated Ringer's solution during surgery. While HEA reduces the intraoperative blood loss, the effect of intravenous fluid loading on hemoglobin levels is not fully understood. The current study investigates the effect of HEA on perioperative hemoglobin levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 35 patients operated on by a single surgeon undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty under HEA. Intraoperatively, at least 300 mL of intravenous fluid were given every 15 min over the first 60 min after HEA. Blood samples were drawn before entering the operating room, after HEA, as well as after inflation of the tourniquet, every 15 min thereafter, as well as in the recovery room and on postoperative days one and two. In addition, fluid in- and outtake was recorded. RESULTS: Patients received a mean 1275 mL during the 60 min of tourniquet time. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) 5 min after HEA dropped to 60 mmHg and reached a constant level of around 58 mmHg 15 min after HEA. The average hemoglobin level dropped from 13.9 g/dL prior to HEA, to 12.5 g/dL immediately after HEA (p < 0.001). Intraoperatively the hemoglobin level dropped further and reached 11.8 g/dL at 60 min in the absence of blood loss. CONCLUSIONS: Hypotensive epidural anesthesia and the resulting fluid substitution resulted in an average hemoglobin drop of 2.1 g/dL within the first 60 min. This needs to be taken into account when evaluating the need for blood transfusions after primary joint replacement surgery under HEA.

Patient blood management in cardiac surgery: Results. / Programa de ahorro de sangre en cirugía cardiaca: resultados.

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of implementing a blood-saving programme in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery with an analysis of the transfusion rate and complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-centre, observational, retrospective, comparative study which included 604 consecutive patients older than 15 years old undergoing elective cardiac surgery. Two groups of patients were created according to whether or not they were included in a blood-saving protocol, and analysed between December 2012 and July 2013 (293 patients, prep group) and April 2015 to May 2016 (311 patients, posp group). RESULTS: The overall blood product transfusion rate was reduced in the posp group (89.5 vs. 67.6%; P<0.001), as well as individually: red blood cell concentrates (83.6%; P<0.001), fresh frozen plasma (36.2 vs. 21.2%; P<0.001), platelets (40.8 vs. 32.7; P<0.001). By contrast, fibrinogen use increased from 16.4 to 49% (P<0.001). Postoperative complications were similar in both groups, except for pulmonary complications (57.8 vs. 43.1%; P<0.001). Length of hospital stay was similar in both groups except in the Critical Care Unit with longer stay for the prep group (5.81±8.00 vs. 4.18±4.38; P=0.002). Mortality did not change. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a blood-saving programme in the cardiac surgery area has favourable consequences, such as a saving in blood product and a reduction of pulmonary complications, although without decreasing the mortality rate.

Tranexamic Acid in a Multimodal Blood Loss Prevention Protocol to Decrease Blood Loss in Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: To clarify if blood loss and transfusion requirements can be decreased in revision knee surgery through a multimodal blood loss approach with tranexamic acid (TXA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was designed in 87 knees (79 patients) that received a knee revision between 2007 and 2013. To avoid heterogeneity in the surgical technique, only revisions with one single implant system were included. A treatment series of 44 knees that received TXA and other techniques in a multimodal blood loss protocol was compared to a control series of 43 knees that received neither TXA nor the rest of the multimodal blood loss protocol. No differences in the complexity of surgeries or case severity were detected. RESULTS: A significant decrease was observed from 58% transfusion rate in the control group to 5% in the treated group. The postoperative haemoglobin drop was also significantly different. Although the use of a blood loss prevention approach including TXA was the most relevant factor in the transfusion risk (OR=15), longer surgical time also associated an increased risk of transfusion (OR=1.15). CONCLUSION: This study supports the use of a two-dose intravenous TXA under a multimodal blood loss prevention approach in revision knee replacement with significant reduction in the transfusion rate, postoperative blood loss and haemoglobin drop.

Anestesia en el angiofibroma juvenil: un reto al anestesiólogo / Anesthesia in juvenile angiofibroma: an challenge for the anesthesiologist

Introducción: La anestesia para el angiofibroma juvenil es una de las intervenciones más complejas dentro de la otorrinolaringología, pues el sangramiento incoercible causa hipovolemia aguda la cual se produce en un breve período y lleva al shock hipovolémico y a la muerte de no tratarse adecuadamente. Objetivo: Realizar una actualización sobre el perioperatorio de la anestesia en el angiofibroma juvenil. Desarrollo: Se debe minimizar las pérdidas sanguíneas a toda costa. La mejor asociación fue la hipotensión inducida, la hemodilución hipovolémica y el predepósito de sangre autóloga, con la angiografia y embolización arterial selectiva del tumor. Conclusiones: La exéresis quirúrgica del angiofibroma juvenil es una intervención de alto riesgo. El equipo de trabajo constituye un elemento primordial. La asociación de hipotensión inducida, hemodilución hipovolémica y predepósito de sangre autóloga son los pilares fundamentales para la mejor evolución de estos pacientes(AU)

Introduction: Anesthesia for juvenile angiofibroma is one of the most complex interventions within otolaryngology, since incoercible bleeding causes acute hypovolemia, which occurs in a short period and leads to hypovolemic shock and death if not treated properly. Objective: To carry out an update about the perioperative period of anesthesia in juvenile angiofibroma. Development: Blood losses must be minimized at all costs. The best association was induced hypotension, hypovolemic hemodilution, and autologous blood predeposit, with angiography and selective arterial embolization of the tumor. Conclusions: Surgical removal of juvenile angiofibroma is a high-risk intervention. The work team is an essential element. The association of induced hypotension, hypovolemic hemodilution, and autologous blood predeposit are the fundamental pillars for the best evolution of these patients(AU)

Predictive factors for homologous transfusion during paediatric scoliosis surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Blood saving strategies during paediatric spinal surgery often include recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO) and antifibrinolytic therapy (AFT). The goal of this study was to investigate additional preventive factors involved in the risk of blood transfusion. METHODS: This prospective study was designed with the aim of identifying factors associated with the perioperative (defined as the intraoperative and the first postoperative day) probability of homologous red cell transfusion during scoliosis surgery in children operated during a one year period in our institution. The predictors analysed were: age, weight less than the 3rd percentile (W<3P), indication for spinal surgery (idiopathic or neuromuscular), Cobb's angle, ASA status, preoperative haemoglobin, number of levels fused, duration of surgery, intraoperative fluid intakes, sacral fusion and thoracoplasty. Statistical analyses were performed using a multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-seven patients were included in the analysis. Multivariate analysis found the following variables to be independent predictors for an increased risk of homologous blood transfusion: W<3P, neuromuscular scoliosis and duration of surgery > 255 minutes. ROC analysis for the latter model found an area under the curve of 0.9 (95% confidence interval: 0.8-0.97). The accuracy of the model was 92.3% (97.4% for non-transfusion and 69.2% for transfusion). Multivariate sensitivity analysis excluding patients with no preoperative administration of EPO found similar results. CONCLUSION: The current results indicate that optimising nutritional status might prevent allogenic blood transfusion and requires further investigation.

Reduced blood loss with ligation of medial circumflex pedicle during total hip arthroplasty with minimally invasive posterior approach.

A total hip arthroplasty procedure can lead to significant perioperative blood loss due to bleeding from the medial circumflex pedicle. When either the anterior or posterior approach is used, haemostasis of this pedicle, which is typically performed with electrocautery without dissection, can be inadequate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a novel surgical technique in which the pedicleis is directly ligated. A single-centre, single-surgeon prospective study was performed to compare pedicle ligation to electrocautery (control group). In the ligation group, the pedicle was identified in front of the upper-third of the quadratus femoris and ligated. The mean postoperative blood loss in the ligation group (293.4±34.8 mL) was significantly less than in the control group (419.0±36.8 mL) (P<0.05). Pedicle ligation is a simple procedure that reduces blood loss during total hip arthroplasty.

Efficacy of extramedullary femoral component alignment guide system for blood saving after total knee arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: To compare the extramedullary femoral alignment guide system with the conventional intramedullary alignment guide system for bleeding and transfusion rate after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-nine female TKA patients were randomized into two groups: intramedullary (IM) group vs. extramedullary (EM) group. Drained volume of blood, hemoglobin concentration, hemoglobin drop, and transfusion rate were compared between the two groups. Wound problems, bleeding-related problems and thromboembolic complications were collected. RESULTS: The mean drained volume via vacuum drainage was less in the EM group than that in the IM group (482.9 mL vs. 266.8 mL, p=0.001). Hemoglobin at 5 days after surgery was higher in the EM group (9.3 g/dL vs. 9.9 g/dL, p=0.002) than that in the IM group. The drop in hemoglobin after 5 days was smaller in the EM group (3.5 g/dL vs. 2.9 g/dL, p=0.003) than that in the IM group. The EM group had a lower prevalence of allogeneic transfusion (45.0% vs. 20.5%, p=0.026) than that in the IM group. No significant complications developed in either group. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the extramedullary femoral alignment guide technique is an advantageous method that can reduce the drained volume of blood and the allogeneic transfusion rate.

Blood loss control with two doses of tranexamic Acid in a multimodal protocol for total knee arthroplasty.

Average blood loss after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) usually ranges from 1500 to 1900 cc, including both the postoperative drain and hidden blood loss. This represents about 46% of TKA patients requiring postoperative blood transfusion. Not only the risks of disease transmission but also those of ABO incompatibility, infection due to immunosupression, increased procedure costs, and increased length of hospital stay, are potential problems that foster blood saving strategies. In this study, 71 unilateral TKAs using a multimodal protocol to decrease blood loss were compared to 61 historical cases. Patients in both groups underwent cemented TKA with the same system, surgical technique, and multimodal protocol (MIS approach, plug in the femoral canal, tourniquet removal after wound closure and compressive bandage, analgesic periarticular infiltration with vasoconstrictor, postoperative drain at atmospheric pressure, opened 2 hours after the end of the surgical procedure and removed after 24 hours). The study series incorporated intravenous tranexamic acid (TXA) infusion in 2 doses of 10-15 mg/kg, 15 minutes before tourniquet release and 3 hours later. Results showed no transfusion requirements in the TXA series (0%), with 23/61 (37.7%) transfusions in the control, with an average cost decrease of 240 euros per patient. Visible bleeding in 24h significantly decreased from 553.36 cc (range 50-1500) to 169.72 cc (range 10-480) in the TXA series. As a conclusion, implementing a TXA-based multimodal protocol produced significant decrease in the transfusion rate, visible blood loss, and cost per patient, thus proving effectiveness and efficiency in the surgical management of TKA.