Clinical outcome and blood transfusion after infant cardiac surgery with a routine use of conventional ultrafiltration.

OBJECTIVE: Priming-related hemodilution is the culprit behind excessive body water accumulation, postoperative coagulopathy and enhanced blood transfusion in infant cardiac surgery patients. In this retrospective, observational study, clinical data were analyzed to assess the effect of conventional ultrafiltration on allogenic blood transfusion and patient clinical outcome. METHODS: All infants with a bodyweight up to 10 kg who underwent consequent cardiac surgery in 2011 and 2012 were eligible for the audit. Seventy patients, operated in accordance with existing pediatric protocol, enrolled in the control group. The study group consisted of 55 patients who were operated employing conventional ultrafiltration during bypass and recently adjusted hematocrit targets. The following variables were primarily investigated: hematocrit and colloid osmotic pressure value, total volume of blood products transfused and duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation. Secondary outcome measures were: postoperative urine production, postoperative blood loss, length of stay at the intensive care unit and hospital stay. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the groups in relation to demographics or hematological and cardiopulmonary bypass data. The ultrafiltration volume removed from circulation during bypass in the study group was 171 ± 99 ml. No significant difference between the groups was found with regard to the total allogenic blood transfusion (study group 216 ± 92 ml versus control group 191 ±93 ml; p = 0.136). All recorded clinical end points, duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of chest tube in situ, stay in ICU and stay in hospital, were similar between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Routine use of conventional ultrafiltration during the cardiac surgery for patients with a bodyweight less than 10 kg was a safe technique that allowed us to achieve higher hematocrit levels at the end of the operation without additional transfusions of allogenic blood. On the other hand, ultrafiltration did not improve the clinical end points.

Processing and transfusion of residual cardiopulmonary bypass volume: effects on haemostasis, complement activation, postoperative blood loss and transfusion volume.

The aim of this prospective randomized study was to compare the effects of the transfusion of unprocessed and cell saver-processed residual cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) volume on haemostasis, complement activation, postoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements after elective cardiac surgery. Blood samples were taken at eight points in time, perioperatively. Haematological data, including haemoglobin, haematocrit and platelet counts as well as coagulation parameters, including activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, thrombin time, fibrinogen and the fibrinolytic parameter D-dimers, were measured from each blood sample. For the assessment of complement activation, the total complement CH50 was analysed. In addition, postoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements were measured during the first 24 hours, postoperatively. The results of the study showed impaired haemostasis after the transfusion of both unprocessed and processed CPB volume. No significant differences were found between the groups in the measured coagulation parameters. Nor was a significant difference found in the complement concentration. However, in patients transfused with unprocessed CPB volume, a significantly (p = 0.019) higher amount of blood loss was found, postoperatively. In the same group of patients, the number of units of allogeneic erythrocyte concentrate suspension transfused was also significantly (p = 0.023) higher during the first 24 hours, postoperatively, compared to the patients transfused with processed CPB blood. The number of units of fresh frozen plasma and platelet suspension transfused was not significantly different between the groups. In conclusion, processing CPB volume in combination with processing peroperative blood loss may result in reducing the volume of transfusion needed of allogeneic blood products.