RISK STRATIFICATION PROTOCOL FOR PERFORMING TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY

the main objective of the study was to evaluate a screening protocol for performing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) without postoperative admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). The secondary objective was to evaluate the postoperative blood transfusion rate.

between January 2020 and December 2021, 270 TKA were performed, following a clinical protocol: age up to 75 years, body mass index up to 35 kg/m2, ASA score classification I or II, non-smoker, without history of ischemic disease (coronary or cerebral), creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min, hemoglobin greater than 12 g/dL and osteoarthritis with deformity treatable with primary prosthesis (fixed or rotating base). The need for conversion to ICU and the blood transfusion rate were assessed.

270 patients underwent surgery during the study period and only one required admission to the ICU, giving the screening protocol a positive predictive value of 99.6%. There was no indication for blood transfusion in any case in the sample.

The proposed screening protocol proved to be effective, allowing total knee arthroplasty to be performed without the prior need for ICU bed reservation, blood typing and/or blood products reservation, without compromising patient safety. Level of Evidence IV; Case Series .