[Post operatory blood recuperators; bibliographical review]

The authors presented this report at the Apheresis Workshop at the Mexican Congress on Transfusions. VI Annual Congress AMMTAC in Monterrey, Nuevo León district. The use of post operatory recuperators, especially in orthopedic surgery is a habitual practice nowadays. Nurses play a special role in their handling and use; therefore, the authors comment on the reasons why these devices should be used. The authors also state different scientific evidence, based on a bibliographical review regarding the effectiveness of these systems, their utility, their product quality, their cost benefit, and the absence of undesirable effects. The authors conclude that there is a determined patient profile for when a patient benefits from the use of these devices. After some years of high use, at present times, there has been a reduction in using these devices due to, firstly the pre-surgical use of hematin agents, and secondly due to the development of certain less invasive surgical techniques. In spite of this, this procedure has proven to be cost effective. Nurses have an important role in the handling and use of these instruments which, combined with other measures such as the use of hemoglobin analysis devices at the head of a patient's bed, can contribute to an improved management of transfusion requirements.