Phlebotomy via the pulmonary artery catheter introducer for intraoperative autotransfusion

Fear of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome and other blood-transmitted diseases has created a revival of autologous transfusion during cardiac surgery. The present report is of 200 patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass during cardiac surgery in whom phlebotomy was performed via the sideport of the introducer for the pulmonary artery catheter for later reinfusion. Each unit of phlebotomized blood was replaced with 500 mL of normal saline. Cardiac output and mean arterial blood pressure decreased significantly after phlebotomy (P less than 0.05) and returned toward control values after administration of the sodium chloride. The autologous blood was replaced after cardiopulmonary bypass. Fresh frozen plasma and platelets were not administered to the patients in the operating room. Eleven patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting received fresh frozen plasma in the recovery room because they were receiving aspirin and dipyridamole up to the day of surgery. Prolonged duration of cardiopulmonary bypass in two double-valve replacements, and one coronary artery bypass graft patient who required insertion of an intra-aortic balloon, accounted for the administration of fresh frozen plasma and platelets in three patients. The average volume of phlebotomized blood was 875 mL, which resulted in a decrease of the hematocrit from 40.5% +/- 0.5% (P less than 0.05) to 29.75% +/- 0.5% and 30.5% +/- 0.5% at the end of surgery and at discharge from the hospital, respectively. Phlebotomy via the Y port of the introducer of the pulmonary artery catheter is an easy, simple, and cost-effective way to remove autologous blood in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.