Vox sanguinis
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Review
Benefits and complications of regular blood transfusion in patients with beta-thalassaemia major.
Early and regular blood transfusion therapy in patients with homozygous beta-thalassaemia decreases the complications of severe anaemia and prolongs survival. In the long term, however, the beneficial effects of transfusions are limited by the organ damage resulting from iron overload, a consequence of the body's limited capacity to excrete iron, and by the complications of infection with blood-borne agents. Transfusion regimens for beta-thalassaemia have changed substantially during the past four decades. ⋯ In fact, the vast majority of them suffer from post-transfusion chronic hepatitis C, which is expected to significantly contribute to morbidity in the forthcoming years. Furthermore, recent studies demonstrated that thalassaemics are at high risk of acquiring several blood-borne viruses. The potential role of these multiple infections in inducing clinical disease is still uncertain, and needs to be thoroughly clarified in future surveys.
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The risks associated to red cell and platelet transfusions are essentially bound to the polymorphism of blood group antigens and to transfusion transmitted agents including virus, bacterias.... In France, the haemovigilance system and several investigations allowed to measure these different kinds of risks. We also developed analysis of failures in order to prevent errors and accidents to increase blood safety.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Evaluation of solvent/detergent-treated plasma in patients with a prolonged prothrombin time.
To compare the laboratory and clinical outcome of patients who received solvent/detergent-treated plasma (SDP) and fresh-frozen plasma (FFP). ⋯ No clinical or statistically significant differences were observed after infusion with SDP or FFP in patients with acquired coagulation deficits.
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The main task of therapeutic hemapheresis remains doing the right thing and doing the right thing right. If objective results have been slow to take hold it is in large part because several physicians have resisted continuous improvement since therapeutic apheresis was considered so efficient to boomerang preventing elimination of unnecessary procedures and treatments. ⋯ Doing right the right thing is to take advantage of the new technologies and, medical culture which have led apheresis to the recent complexity and efficacy. In the following pages we are trying to update the state-of-the-art and new trends which characterize therapeutic apheresis at the beginning of 2000.
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Perioperative transfusion triggers for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion include physiologic signs of inadequate oxygenation of the entire organism or a specific organ, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and logistic aspects such as experience of anesthesiologists and surgeons, predictability and magnitude of blood loss and time required for a Hb determination and RBC delivery. At a Hb concentration <6 g/dL a RBC transfusion may be given, however, if the patient is hemodynamically stable one may opt not to transfuse. ⋯ In absence of hypovolemia signs of inadequate oxygenation include tachycardia and hypotension, an O2 extraction>50%, a a mixed-venous O2 partial pressure <4.3 kPa (32 mmHg), a decrease of O2 consumption >10% (not otherwise explained) and signs of locally deficient oxygenation such as myocardial ischemia. At Hb concentrations >10 g/dL, RBC transfusions are rarely, if ever, indicated.