Transmission of West Nile Virus through blood transfusion in the United States in 2002.
Important study showing that more than one third of donors show no symptoms although having viremia and transmitting West Nile virus. Therefore, nucleic-based assays for West-Nile Virus are necessary in […]
Transfusion risks of yesterday and of today. [Article in French]
Very important is the conclusion that mistransfusions are the main risk of blood transfusions. Means of limiting these serious hazards should therefore have priority in blood safety. – Volker Kretschmer
US NAT yield: where are we after 2 years?
Discussion of very recent literature, calculation of current risk of transfusion transmitted viral infections after introduction of NAT-HCV and NAT-HIV. Determination of cost/benefit of introduction of NAT. Conclusive statement that […]
The use of acute normovolemic hemodilution in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
In this observational study, the authors report their experience with the use of acute normovolemic hemodilution in cardiac surgery patients. – Philippe Van der Linden This article convincingly shows that […]
How effective is acute normovolaemic haemodilution in femoro-distal bypass surgery?
This case control cohort study reports that the efficacy of acute normovolemic hemodilution as a blood conservation technique appears limited due to the usually poor clinical status of patients undergoing […]
Recombinant human transgenic antithrombin in cardiac surgery: a dose-finding study.
This is a very important paper in two ways. First, it highlights ongoing activation of hemostasis in the postoperative period as demonstrated by the control group. The scale of Figure […]
Effect of blood transfusion on long-term survival after cardiac operation.
The authors studied a database of 1,915 patients who underwent isolated first time myocardial revascularization between 1994 and 1997 and found that blood transfusions during or after coronary artery bypass […]
Transfusion-related alloimmune neutropenia: an undescribed complication of blood transfusion.
Interesting, but very rare adverse reaction that needs not be treated as long as no bacterial infection complicates the situation. Then antibiotics are the therapy of choice, and not granulocyte […]
Reduction in erythropoietin doses by the use of chronic intravenous iron supplementation in iron-replete hemodialysis patients.
The authors from Taiwan state that they used “Ferrum Hausmann, a ferric polymaltose complex.” Under the same name (Ferrum Hausmann), iron saccharate (identical to iron sucrose) has been licensed in […]
Transfusion practices for elective orthopedic surgery.
The article demonstrates that the decision towards autologous blood donation (ABD) does not, in the majority of cases, depend on the hemoglobin values but on additional health risk factors. There […]
Coronary artery bypass grafting surgery without the routine application of blood products: is it feasible?
The results of this study are rather surprising. The control group receiving FFP required significantly more red cell concentrates (RBCs). One of the reasons explaining this could be that the […]