The cost effectiveness of preoperative autologous blood donations

Article Abstract:

Autologous blood donation may be very expensive considering that the risk of transfusion-associated infections appears to be very low. Autologous blood donation occurs when patients about to have surgery donate blood which is then given back to them after surgery. Researchers at a large medical center compared the cost of autologous blood donation for every patient undergoing hip replacement, coronary bypass, hysterectomy or prostate surgery in 1992 with the years of life saved by avoiding transfusion-associated infection. The additional cost of using autologous blood donation ranged from $68 to $4,783. When compared to the years of life saved from infection, the cost ranged from $235,000 to more than $23 million. The increased cost of using autologous blood donation rather than blood donated by others is a direct result of the fact that many autologous blood units are not used and consequently discarded.

Economic aspects, Postoperative care, Blood transfusion, Autologous, Autologous blood transfusion

---

Changing blood types and other immunohematologic surprises

Article Abstract:

A change in blood type usually occurs in patients who receive a bone marrow transplant from a donor with a different blood type. It can also occur in individuals who have certain infections and cancers. Blood type is determined by ABO antigens, proteins on the surface of red blood cells (RBC). Some of these changes are caused by false positives for other blood types during blood type testing. Transplantation of whole organs may change blood type. The blood type of a five-year-old child changed from type O to type AB after he received a liver from an AB donor. The patient's blood type later changed back to type O. The transplanted liver may have produced enzymes that changed the patient's RBCs from type O to type AB. Or some of the donor's blood cells may have been transplanted into the patient with the donor's liver and caused transient changes in blood type.

Blood groups, ABO blood-group system

---

More preoperative assessment by physicians and less by laboratory tests

Article Abstract:

Doctors should only order preoperative laboratory tests if the patient's history and physical examination warrants it. Doctors began collecting this information because they believed it would optimize care. However, laboratory tests are costly and it is not clear what should be done if the test is abnormal. A 1999 study showed that preoperative testing had no beneficial effect on the outcome of patients having cataract surgery.

Editorial, Evaluation, Preoperative care, Medical tests

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: The new frontier of reproductive age. A couple with infertility. Diagnosis and management of female infertility
• Abstracts: The consequences of a positive prenatal HIV antibody test for women. The elusive gold standard: Future perspectives for HIV adherence assessment and intervention
• Abstracts: The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis. Mind the gap. Superior vena cava syndrome with malignant causes
• Abstracts: The effect of sugar on behavior or cognition in children: a meta-analysis. Childhood obesity as a chronic disease: keeping the weight off
• Abstracts: The role of the nurse. Audit pinpoints IV drug administration pitfalls. Is flexible rostering helpful?

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.