Blood Transfusion Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Blood Transfusion, including details on blood donation, blood types, leukemia.

Preoperative evaluation and methods to reduce blood use in orthopedic surgery.

Keating EM

The Center for Hip and Knee Surgery, 1199 Hadley Road, Mooresville, IN 46158, USA. em.keating@att.net

Major elective orthopedic surgery may be associated with significant blood loss and allogeneic transfusion risk. Identifying patients at risk for allogeneic transfusion is best accomplished with a thorough preoperative evaluation of the patient's hematopoietic system, which, unfortunately, is not always carried out. An evaluation of the hematopoietic system begins with an evaluation of the patient's hemoglobin level a minimum of 30 days before the scheduled surgical procedure. This allows for expedited diagnosis and treatment of underlying comorbidities. An unexplained low level of hemoglobin or a hemoglobin level low enough to increase the patient's allogeneic risk should cause elective surgery to be deferred until an evaluation can be preformed and blood management strategies put in place.

Published 30 May 2005 in Anesthesiol Clin North America, 23(2): 305-13, vi-vii.
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