[Perioperative blood management in primary total knee arthroplasty]

Preoperative autologous blood collection and the reinfusion of postoperative blood salvaged from wound drainage can help to decrease the use of homologous blood transfusion in total knee arthroplasty. We have evaluated 100 primary total knee arthroplasties carried out at the García Orcoyen Hospital between 2001-2003. Eighty-eight point seven percent (88.7%) of available autotransfusion blood packs were employed and the average blood reinfusion from wound drainage was 374 ml. (range: 200-950 ml) when this method was possible. In 69% of cases homologous blood transfusion was not necessary. While other techniques are being developed, we think that autologous blood collection and blood reinfusion from wound drainage are effective in reducing the need for homologous blood transfusion; this is important because of the potential risk of reactions, disease transmission and limited blood bank resources.