Criterios actuales en la medicina transfusional perioperatoria / Current opinions in perioperative transfusion medicine

Blood transfusion as well as blood conservation strategies are the basis of so-called transfusion medicine, which is founded on the multidisciplinary work of anaesthesiologists, surgeons, haematologists, internists, etc. Its main objective is to avoid unnecessary transfusions. It is out of the question that a knowledge of transfusion indications, with the application of physiological triggers for red blood cells and the use of viscoelastic test-based guidelines for plasma and platelets, forces us to stay constantly abreast of the latest guidelines in this field. It is true that the blood products transfused today are the safest ever, although a zero-risk situation is impossible to reach. So, it is always important to keep in mind, as an essential part of transfusion medicine, a balance between risk and benefits in the indication of every single hemoderivate we prescribe. Taking into account the need for better criteria in the final transfusion decision, trying to use every resource available to minimise allogenic blood administration (also avoiding infra-transfusion), the concept of "patient blood management" has been developed. Its main objective for the surgical patient is to optimise preparation in the preoperative period, to minimise blood loss and bleeding during surgery, as well as to optimise the physiological tolerance of anaemia in the postoperative period

La transfusión de hemoderivados y sus técnicas de ahorro son la base de la medicina transfusional, que se fundamenta en el trabajo multidisciplinario de anestesiólogos, cirujanos, hematólogos, internistas, entre otros. Su objetivo esencial es disminuir o evitar las denominadas transfusiones innecesarias. No cabe duda de que el conocimiento de las indicaciones de administración de cada uno de los hemoderivados, con la aplicación de los triggers fisiológicos cuando se hace referencia a los concentrados de hematíes, o de la monitorización con pruebas de viscoelasticidad cuando se habla de la transfusión de hemostáticos, hacen que debamos ser conocedores de las nuevas tendencias decisionales en este campo. La sangre que se transfunde en el momento actual es la más segura que hemos tenido nunca, pero es imposible llegar al "riesgo cero", por lo que siempre es necesario tener en cuenta, como parte de la medicina transfusional, el equilibrio entre riesgo y beneficio en la indicación de cada uno de los hemoderivados que administramos. A partir de la premisa de transfundir con mejor criterio, tratando de emplear todos los recursos para minimizar la transfusión de sangre alogénica sin entrar en la infratransfusión, se desarrolla el concepto de "patient blood management", cuya esencia es la óptima preparación del paciente, la minimización del sangrado y las pérdidas hemáticas durante la cirugía y el aprovechamiento y la optimización de la reserva fisiológica de cada paciente en el posoperatorio

Efficacy and Safety of Intraveous Iron Sucrose in the Perioperatively Anemic Patients of Gastrectomy

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of of intravenous iron sucrose (Venoferrum(R)) for treating the perioperative anemic gastrectomy patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From September 2006 to February 2007 at Seoul National University Hospital, the gastrectomy patients who displayed perioperative anemia (7.0 g/dl or = 1 month after gastrectomy) patients without evidence of acute bleeding were included into Group 1. The immediate postoperative (< 1 month after gastrectomy) patients with stable vital signs were included into Group 2. The age, gender, diagnosis, Hb, hematocrit (Hct), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), serum ferritin (SF), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), serum iron and reticulocyte counts (RC) were evaluated before and after intravenous iron sucrose administration. The adverse effects of drugs were investigated. RESULTS: The number of patients of group 1 and group 2 was 79 and 46, respectively. In group 1, there was a statistically significant difference in the Hb, Hct, MCV, SF, RC and TIBC with each mean change of 1.3 g/dl, 4.1%, 3.1fl, 195 ng/ml, 0.2% and -86.4 ug/dl, respectively. In group 2, there was a statistically significant difference in the Hb, Hct, MCV, SF and RC with each mean change of 1.8 g/dl, 6.1%, 3.4fl, 260 ng/ml and 0.3%, respectively. Two patients (1.6%) suffered local thrombophlebitis as an adverse effect. CONCLUSION: Intravenous iron sucrose for the perioperative anemia of gastrectomy patients was efficacious in the short period without significant adverse effects.