Patient Blood Management for primary hip and knee replacement. A survey among POWER.2 study researchers

Implementation of Patient Blood Management programs remain variable in Europe, and even in centres with well-established PBM programs variability exists in transfusion practices.

We conducted a survey in order to assess current practice in perioperative Patient Blood Management in patients undergoing total hip and knee replacement among researchers involved in POWER.2 Study in Spain (an observational prospective study evaluating enhanced recovery pathways in orthopaedic surgery).

A total of 322 responses were obtained (37.8%). Half of responders check Haemoglobin levels in patients at least 4 weeks before surgery; 35% treat all anaemic patients, although 99.7% consider detection and treatment of preoperative anaemia could influence the postoperative outcomes. Lack of infrastructure (76%) and lack of time (51%) are the main stated reasons not to treat anaemic patients. Iron status is routinely checked by 19% before surgery, and 36% evaluate it solely in the anaemic patient. Hb<9.9 g/dl is the threshold to delay surgery for 61% of clinicians, and 22% would consider transfusing preoperatively clinically stable patients without active bleeding. The threshold to transfuse patients without cardiovascular disease is 8 g/dl for 43%, and 7 g/dl for 34% of the responders; 75% of clinicians consider they use "restrictive thresholds", and 90% follow the single unit transfusion policy.

The results of our survey show variability in clinical practice in Patient Blood Management in major orthopaedic surgery, despite being the surgery with the greatest tradition in these programs.