IS AUTOTRANSFUSION OF SHED MEDIASTINAL BLOOD POSSIBLE?

Abstract

IN 14 patients having cardiac surgery, samples of collected shed mediastinal blood (SMB) were hematologically examined and were defined the coagulation system. SMB were studied two to four hours after operation in six patients (Group A) and 17 to 20 hours after operation in eight patients (Group B). No bacterial contaminations were seen in all of SMB collected from Group B. It contained sufficient levels of hemoglobin and serum protein in both groups. It contained normal level of platelets in those groups, while the status of coagulation system was impaired and it demonstrated defibrinogenation in the pericardial cavity without anticoagulants. In this study, autotransfusion of SMB seemed to be possible. We suggest that when the postoperative autotransfusion is applied in addition to preoperative autologous blood collection and operative autotransfusion, the indication of cardiac operation with autologous blood seems to increase and reduce bank blood requirement in case of chest reopen after operation.