Haemotherapy with red-cell concentrates and a new red-cell storage medium

The effects on plasma proteins and haemostasis of haemotherapy with buffy-coat-poor red-cell concentrate and red cells suspended and stored in a new medium containing sodium chloride, adenine, glucose, and mannitol (SAGM) were studied in elective surgery. In patients with normal preoperative serum albumin levels no transfusion of plasma was necessary before 50% of blood volume had been lost. When three different types of haemotherapy were investigated in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery, it was found that when whole blood was replaced by red-cell concentrate and, later, by red-cell suspension in SAGM medium, the peroperative bleeding pattern did not change. The volume of transfused plasma was reduced by 47% in the red-cell-concentrate series and by 72% in the red-cell-suspension series. No albumin preparations were given and the use of red cells was decreased by 26%. Haemotherapy with red cells suspended in SAGM was useful in elective surgery and saved plasma for other purposes.