Transfusion medicine
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Transfusion medicine · Aug 2017
Performance of a new-generation continuous autotransfusion device including fat removal and consequences for quality controls.
Cell salvage plays a key role in blood conservation. To maintain high performance, quality management is recommended. Accordingly, a new-generation autotransfusion device was tested for its performance and compared with its predecessor. Two different calculations of quality parameters were applied. ⋯ The new-generation autotransfusion device CATSmart is not inferior to its predecessor and shows high performance with regards to RBC recovery, plasma and fat elimination in all programme modes. Samples for quality controls should be taken during blood processing.
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Transfusion medicine · Oct 2016
Observational StudyThe effect of blood transfusion on central venous oxygen saturation in critically ill patients admitted to a neurointensive care unit.
Literature suggests poorer outcomes during anaemia as well as following red blood cell transfusion (BT) in brain injured patients. Recently, central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2 ) has been proposed as a physiological trigger to guide red BT. In this study, we looked at ScvO2 changes following BT in patients admitted to a neurointensive care unit (NICU). ⋯ Baseline ScvO2 <70% appears to be a useful physiological trigger for deciding the need for BT in brain injured patients. Whether improvement in ScvO2 leads to improvement in regional brain oxygenation needs to be studied.
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Transfusion medicine · Aug 2016
Clinical TrialFibrinogen concentrate improves clot strength in patients with haematological malignancies requiring platelet transfusion.
Patients with bone marrow failure secondary to chemotherapy often develop thrombocytopenia and require platelet transfusion. Fibrinogen plays an important role in platelet aggregation and the establishment of the primary haemostatic plug. ⋯ Fibrinogen concentrate increased clot firmness to the same degree as platelet transfusion in patients with low platelet count requiring platelet transfusion.
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Transfusion medicine · Feb 2016
Concentration-dependent effect of hypocalcaemia on in vitro clot strength in patients at risk of bleeding: a retrospective cohort study.
It is uncertain whether hypocalcaemia is associated with an increased risk of bleeding. This study assessed the dose-related relationship between ionised calcium concentrations and in vitro clot strength measured by maximum amplitude (MA) on the thromboelastograph (TEG). ⋯ Ionised calcium concentrations had a concentration-dependent association with in vitro clot strength after adjusting for other coagulation abnormalities in patients with coexisting coagulopathy. Maintaining a normal ionised calcium concentration, >1 mmol L(-1) , during critical bleeding is recommended.
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Transfusion medicine · Feb 2016
A survey of US and Canadian hospitals' paediatric massive transfusion protocol policies.
Trauma is the leading cause of death in children >1 year of age, with haemorrhage as the most common cause of medically preventable deaths. While massive transfusion protocols (MTPs) have been investigated and used in adults to reduce death from haemorrhage, there are a paucity of published data on MTP practices and outcomes in children. This study aimed to survey current MTP policies and the frequency of activation at paediatric care centres. ⋯ There is a wide variation in MTPs among paediatric hospitals with regard to both activation criteria and products administered. This underscores the need for future prospective studies to determine the most effective resuscitation methods for paediatric populations to improve outcomes and therapeutic safety for massive bleeding.