Acta medica Croatica : c̆asopis Hravatske akademije medicinskih znanosti
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
[Factors affecting blood loss in total knee arthroplasty patients].
The aim of the study was to identify the factors affecting major blood loss in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA), in order to reduce blood loss and requirements for blood transfusion. This prospective randomized study included 80/184 patients treated by TKA at University Hospital of Traumatology, Zagreb, Croatia, from January 2005 till December 2007. The following parameters were analyzed: patient age, sex, body mass index (BMI), arterial blood pressure, preoperative hemoglobin level and hemoglobin level preceding blood transfusion, length of surgery, blood loss and volume of blood transfused. ⋯ Male patients had a significantly higher preoperative hemoglobin level (P=0.012), larger mean blood loss volume (P = 0.057) and received more blood transfusions than female patients, however, the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.562). Based on study results, it is concluded that requirements for blood transfusion will be greater in patients with hypertension and lower preoperative hemoglobin level as well as in all cases with longer duration of surgery. To reduce the use of allogeneic blood transfusion, it is necessary to correct arterial blood pressure before surgery in hypertensive patients and also to magnify preoperative hemoglobin level if it is lower.