Acute normovolemic hemodilution is not beneficial in patients undergoing primary elective valve surgery.

This prospective single-blind randomized study reported that low-volume normovolemic hemodilution is not associated with a reduction in transfusion requirements in patients undergoing elective primary valve surgery. These results are not surprising as the volume of blood collected (271 64 mL at a Hb concentration of 12.4 1.4 g/dL) was clearly too low to be associated with any beneficial effect on allogeneic blood requirements.

– Philippe Van der Linden