Effect of low central venous pressure and phlebotomy on blood product transfusion requirements during liver transplantations.

Correction of coagulation defects with plasma transfusion did not decrease the need for intraoperative red blood cells (RBC) transfusions during liver transplantations. On the contrary, it led to a hypervolemic state that resulted in an increase of shed blood. As well, plasma transfusion has been associated with a decreased one-year survival rate. The aim of the present prospective survey was to evaluate whether anesthesiologists could reduce intraoperative RBC transfusions during liver transplantations by changing their anesthesia practice, more specifically by maintaining a low central venous pressure (CVP), through restriction of volume replacement, elimination of all plasma transfusion and by using intraoperative phlebotomy during the transplantation. One hundred consecutive liver transplantations were prospectively studied during a two-year period and were compared to a retrospective series (1998-2002). A low CVP was maintained in all patients prior the anhepatic phase. Coagulation disorders were not corrected preoperatively, intraoperatively, or post-operatively unless uncontrollable bleeding. Phlebotomy and Cell Saver (CS) were used following pre-established criteria. Independent variables were analyzed in a univariate and multivariate fashion. The mean number of intraoperative RBC units transfused was 0.4 +/- 0.8. No plasma, platelets, albumin, or cryoprecipitate were transfused. Seventy-nine percent of the patients received no blood products during their liver transplantation. The average final hemoglobin value was 85.9 +/- 17.8 g/L. In 57 patients (58.2%), intraoperative phlebotomy and CS were used either together or separately. The one-year year survival rate was 89.1%. Logistic regression showed that avoidance of plasma transfusion, starting hemoglobin value and phlebotomy were significantly linked to liver transplantation without RBC transfusion. In conclusion, the avoidance of plasma transfusion and maintenance of a low CVP prior to the anhepatic phase were associated with a decrease in RBC transfusions during liver transplantations. Previous reports indicating that it is neither useful nor necessary to correct coagulation defects with plasma transfusion prior to liver transplantation are further corroborated by this prospective survey. We believe that this work also supports the practice of lowering CVP with phlebotomy in order to reduce blood loss, during liver dissection, without any deleterious effect.

Survival rate changes with transfusion of blood products during liver transplantation.

PURPOSE: To determine whether red blood cell (RBC) or plasma transfusion is associated with the one-year survival rate variation previously detected in liver transplantation. METHODS: A retrospective study of 206 consecutive liver transplantations was undertaken. Intraoperative transfusions of blood products were identified. Twenty-seven variables were studied using univariate and multivariate analyses to identify factors that were associated significantly with survival rate. For analysis of one-year survival, the cases were studied according to the transfused blood products. Patients were stratified according to the degree of RBC and plasma transfusion into four groups: more than four units of RBC, one to four units of RBC, plasma transfusion only, and no plasma or RBC transfusions. RESULTS: Patients received an average of 2.8 +/- 3.5 units of RBC and 4.1 +/- 4.1 units of plasma. Thirty-two percent of the patients did not receive any RBC transfusion and 19.4% did not receive any blood products. The one-year survival rate was 81.9% for all patients and 97.4% for patients without any transfusions. Of the 27 variables evaluated, only RBC and plasma transfusions were associated with significant decrease in the one-year survival rate, which was seen in the group who received only plasma (76.9%, P = 0.014) and the group who received more than four units of RBC (62.5%, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Although we cannot demonstrate causality, our analysis shows that our one-year survival rate following liver transplantation decreased significantly with the intraoperative transfusion of any amount of plasma or more than four units of RBC.

Transfusion predictors in liver transplant.

UNLABELLED: In this study we sought to determine the factors influencing red blood cell (RBC) transfusions and to study the transfusion practice of anesthesiologists during liver transplants. A retrospective study of 206 successive liver transplants was undertaken during a period of 52 mo. Transfused blood products were identified. Twenty variables were analyzed in a univariate fashion. For the multivariate analysis, the cases were divided in 2 subgroups: more than 4 RBC units transfused and 4 or less RBC units transfused. The average number of RBC units transfused during a liver transplant was 2.8 (+/- 3.5) per patient, 32.0% did not receive any RBC, and 19.4% did not receive any blood products during the transplant. Three variables were related to the number of RBC units transfused: the starting International Normalized Ratio value, the starting platelet count, and the duration of surgery. We found that there was a wide difference in the transfusion practice of the anesthesiologists involved in this series of liver transplants. It was difficult to identify predictive factors for RBC transfusions when the transfusion rate was small and because of the variability in human factors. Plasma transfusion did not decrease the rate of RBC transfusions; sometimes it was the contrary. IMPLICATIONS: This is a retrospective study of 206 liver transplants over 52 mo to identify the predictive factors of red blood cell transfusions and the anesthesiologists' transfusion strategies. We conclude that there is a wide difference in transfusion practices among anesthesiologists.