Gandini G, Franchini M, de Gironcoli M, Giuffrida A, Bertuzzo D, Zanolla L, Ferro I, Regis D, Aprili G
Servizio di Immunoematologia e Trasfusione Ospedale Policlinico, Via delle Menegone, 10-37134 Verona, Italy.
Vox Sang. 2001 Feb;80(2):95-100. doi: 10.1046/j.1423-0410.2001.00020.x.
To assess the feasibility of a programme of predeposit in elderly patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery.
We retrospectively studied 789 elderly patient candidates (> 65 years of age) for orthopaedic surgery (total hip and knee replacement and spinal surgery), who were undergoing a programme of preoperative autologous blood donation (PABD) in our city hospital between January 1990 and December 1998.
Six hundred and eighty-eight patients (87.2%) were transfused with autologous blood; 128 (16.2%) also received allogeneic blood. Hip arthroplasty revision was characterized by the greatest blood consumption. The predeposit programme was discontinued in 96 patients (12.2%) because of the following complications: the onset of anaemia (11.0%); vasovagal reactions (0.5%); lack of venous access (0.4%); or cardiac complications (0.2%). No episodes of reaction to autologous transfusion were recorded.
Our study confirms the feasibility of PABD in elderly patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery.
