• Sukhjit K Dhariwal, Khalid S Khan, Shubha Allard, Matthew Wilson, Philip Moore, and SALVO study group.
• aBarts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry bCentre of Primary Care and Public Health, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry cBarts and the London NHS Trust and NHS Blood and Transplant, London dSchool of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield eBirmingham Women's NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
• Curr. Opin. Obstet. Gynecol. 2014 Dec 1;26(6):425-30.

Purpose Of ReviewAn important cause of maternal morbidity and direct maternal death is obstetric haemorrhage at caesarean section. Concerns regarding allogeneic blood safety, limited blood supplies and rising health costs have collectively generated enthusiasm for the utility of methods intended to reduce the use of allogeneic blood transfusion in cases of haemorrhage at caesarean section. This can be achieved by intraoperative cell salvage (IOCS). The aim of this review is to summarize and examine the evidence for the efficacy of IOCS during caesarean section, in women at risk of haemorrhage, in reducing the need for allogeneic blood transfusion.Recent FindingsThe majority of the evidence currently available is from case reports and case series. Although this evidence appears to support the use of IOCS in obstetrics, strong clinical evidence or economic effectiveness from clinical trials are essential to support the routine practice of IOCS in obstetrics.SummaryCurrent evidence is limited to reported case series and two small controlled studies. Overall, IOCS may reduce the need for allogeneic blood transfusions during caesarean section. Future large randomized trials are required to assess effectiveness, cost effectiveness and safety. The results of the current ongoing SALVO (A randomised controlled trial of intra-operative cell salvage during caesarean section in women at risk of haemorrhage) trial will shed light on these aspects.

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