Blood Conservation in Cardiac Surgery: Let's Get Restrictive

• Published in: Seminars in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery Vol. 22; no. 2; pp. 121 - 126
• Main Authors: Varghese, Robin, MD, MS, FRCSC, Myers, M. Lee, MD, FRCSC
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 2010
• Subjects: blood; Blood Loss, Surgical - prevention & control; cardiac surgery; Cardiac Surgical Procedures - adverse effects; Cardiothoracic Surgery; critical care; Evidence-Based Medicine; hemoglobin; Humans; Intraoperative Care; Postoperative Care; Postoperative Hemorrhage - etiology; Postoperative Hemorrhage - prevention & control; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Practice Patterns, Physicians; Preoperative Care; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Transfusion Reaction; transfusions; critical care; cardiac surgery; blood; transfusions; hemoglobin

Despite increasing evidence suggesting harmful effects of blood transfusions, physician practices are slow to change. A systematic approach is required to successfully minimize the need for red cell transfusions in the perioperative cardiac surgical patient. This involves preoperative, intraoperativ...