[Reinfusion of shed blood after heart surgery]

Abstract

Purpose: To asses effectivity of postoperative reinfusion of shed mediastinal blood in reduction of homologous transfusions at cardiac surgery and to study the possibility of side effects.

Methods: Fifteen patients submitted to cardiac surgery that had their shed mediastinal blood reinfused after surgery were compared to another group of 15 patients. The two groups were compared in relation to: volume of shed blood, number of units of blood used in postoperative period, culture of shed blood, postoperative complications, number of days of hospitalization, hematocrit at the end of hospitalization and mortality.

Results: The use of whole blood and packed blood cells decreased from 25 to 10 units with reinfusion of shed mediastinal blood (p < 0.01). Volume of shed blood, postoperative complications, period of hospitalization, hematocrit at the end of hospitalization and mortality were not different in both groups. Culture of shed blood, in 8 patients of control group and all patients of study group were negative.

Conclusion: Reinfusion of shed mediastinal blood in postoperative of cardiac surgery proved to be very efficient in decreasing homologous blood transfusions. This procedure is also safe, with no additional risk to patients.