[Intraoperative autotransfusion in massive hemorrhage after thoracic-abdominal trauma].

In the University Hospital of Granada (Spain), 359 trauma surgical patients underwent intraoperative autotransfusion. Patients from group I (blood loss less than 2000 ml) did not requiere homologous blood transfusion. So the high risk involved in the type of transfusion was avoided. With patients from group II, however, that is, those with a blood loss of more than 2000 ml, we had to fall back on homologous transfusion in addition to retransfusing autologous blood. The main indication for intraoperative autotransfusion is without doubt abdominal and thoracic trauma which lead to high blood loss.