CONTEMPORARY RECOMMENDATIONS ON PATIENT BLOOD MANAGEMENT IN JOINT ARTHROPLASTY.

Hip and knee replacement surgery are a common and effective procedure for the relief of pain and loss of function. The number of procedures is increasing and great interest is given how to improve outcome following hip and knee replacement surgery. Last two decades have been characterized by many innovations in hip and knee replacement surgery including minimally invasive technique but also by improvements in anesthetic technique and blood management. The patients undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery are commonly elderly and have cos-existing organ dysfunctions. These procedures are characterized by great perioperative disturbances including cardiovascular complications, high incidence of thromboembolic complications, possible significant perioperative blood loss, possible bone cement effect and high level of postoperative pain. Anesthetic assessment of patients include preoperative preparations, intraoperative and postoperative care. In this article, all problems of perioperative blood management are discussed. The recent data of advantages of blood management for every patient are outlined. Blood management include preoperative preparation, use of autologous blood in perioperative period and administration of drugs for minimizing intraoperative blood loss. The final result of improvements in blood management is reducing in blood loss and need for allogeneic blood and significant reduction in perioperative morbidity.

[Characteristics of anesthesia in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta undergoing orthopedic surgical procedures]. / Osobitosti anestezije kod ortopedskih zahvata u bolesnika s osteogenesis imperfect.

The aim is to show our experience in anesthesia of patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) who have undergone orthopedic surgical procedures. This is a retrospective analysis of OI patients treated at our Department from 1980 to 2012. We analyzed demographics, comorbidities, preoperative characteristics, anesthesia types, anesthetics and intraoperative and postoperative complications. In the given period, 26 OI patients were treated, using 103 surgeries, and 103 anesthesia procedures. Most procedures, a total of 68, were used in children aged 0-10 years. According to the diagnosis, OI type III was mostly encountered. The rating of the American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) physical status was II in most cases, a total of 99. General anesthesia was used in 89 cases, and regional anesthesia in 14. Fourteen intraoperative complications were seen, mostly difficult intubation, and six postoperative cardiovascular instability cases. With careful preparation, and knowledge of pitfalls, anesthesia in these patients should be a safe procedure.

Pre-operative autologous blood donation versus no blood donation in total knee arthroplasty: a prospective randomised trial.

PURPOSE: During total knee arthroplasty (TKA) blood loss can be significant and in spite of all techniques for reducing blood loss there is still a significant possibility for blood transfusions. For blood loss management during TKA, pre-operative autologous blood donation (PABD) is still a standard of care. In this prospective randomised study we have evaluated the efficacy of PABD in patients undergoing TKA to answer the question whether there is any need for autologous blood donations during TKA and, if yes, for which group of patients. METHODS: Patients were randomised to three groups. In group 1 patients did not donate autologous blood, in group 2 patients donated 1 dose 72 hours prior to TKA and in group 3 patients donated autologous blood 14 days prior to TKA. In all patients haemoglobin, haematocrit, thrombocyte and reticulocyte values, iron concentrations (Fe, unsaturated iron binding capacity, total iron binding capacity), activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, and intra-operative and post-operative blood loss were measured and compared. RESULTS: With PABD there was no reduction in allogeneic blood transfusions and a large number of taken doses of autologous blood was discarded, which significantly increased the cost of treatment for these patients. For patients undergoing TKA, PABD can provoke iatrogenic anaemia and thereby increase the likelihood of the need for allogeneic blood transfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Results of our study showed that PABD in non-anaemic patients is not justified and is not economically feasible.