Surgery : restrict the transfusion of blood is no more risky for patients

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Published the 07.12.2017 at 10h58

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chirurgietransfusions sanguinesrisque cardiovascular

The services of surgery may be more strict on the blood transfusions. According to a test conducted on almost 5000 patients, do not use it systematically has two advantages. There is no more risk to the lives of patients. And this would allow hospitals to make cost savings.
Up here, it was not clear. Could you restrict the blood transfusions during heart surgery without risk to patients ? Physician-scientists of the St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada, have found an answer, unveiled at the congress of the American Heart Association and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

A controlled study of 5000 made

For this, two methods, used on 5243 patients operated with a moderate to high-risk of death. The method is restrictive recommending transfusion only if haemoglobin below 7.5 grams per deciliter of blood. And the other, standard, showed a transfusion from a haemoglobin < 9.5 grams per deciliter.
Result : the group that has benefited from the method is restrictive transfusion has not had more cardiovascular complications (heart attack, renal failure, myocardial infarction, death) than the other. We can therefore reduce the indications of blood transfusions during cardiac operations, of course, but also of the other.

Multiple benefits

The results of this study are beneficial in several ways. In the first place, this attitude does pose a cardiovascular risk to patients and they are also less exposed to the risks associated with blood transfusion : infection, pulmonary edema, or to secondary effects such as hives, fever, or breathing problems.
And for hospitals, this will enable them to make savings. These savings could be in the millions of dollars just for the test performed on these 5243 patients. The blood is a very valuable resource. Sometimes too rare. Witness, for example, in France, the numerous campaigns of blood donation during the course of the year. Especially during the summer holidays, when people are thinking less to make a donation.

Restrict blood transfusions would therefore be beneficial for everyone. Patients, Economics, and hospitals.