Despite being a widely used procedure, there are known risks associated with blood transfusion. Adverse events are still found in clinical practice related either directly or indirectly to homologous blood transfusion.
Autotransfusion plays a key role as part of an effective blood management strategy. It can contribute to improved clinical outcomes in a cost-effective manner, either as a stand-alone or as part of a Patient Blood Management program.
Patients undergoing cardiac surgeries are commonly at an advanced stage and comorbidities such as myocardial infarction, making effective blood product management an essential component of their care.
The rate of allogeneic red blood cell transfusions in non-cardiac surgery settings has been found to be between 21% and 70%, with the majority of authors reporting figures in the middle of the range. Allogeneic blood transfusion raises multiple challenges:
- Risk of pathogen transmission
- Health/economic costs
- Scarcity of resources
Autotransfusion supports clinicians and patients in reducing blood transfusions. What’s more, it is a cost-effective option in different surgical fields.
- In orthopedics, autotransfusion is safe, effective and reduces the risk of transmission of infections.
- In vascular surgery, it reduces the risk of allogeneic blood transfusion, the length of the intensive care unit, and hospital length stay.
- In obstetric surgery, autotransfusion is considered to be more effective and useful than other blood conservation techniques and endorsed by CEMACH, OAA/AAGBI guidelines, the National Blood Service, and NICE.
- In transplant surgery, autotransfusion can reduce the need for heterologous blood transfusion and the risk of transmissible diseases.