Determination of organ-specific anemia tolerance.

Using a very elegant method (detection of hypoxia through the determination of hypoxia-related antigens), this experimental study performed in anesthetized pigs confirmed that tolerance to acute isovolemic hemodilution varies among organs, the kidneys and skeletal muscle being less tolerant than the heart, the brain the liver and the intestine. This observation should be taken into account in the clinical decision to transfuse or not a given patient.

– Philippe Van der Linden