Purpose: Orthotopic liver transplantation is typically associated with large volume blood loss. Technological and pharmacological advances permit liver transplantation in patients who formerly were not candidates for this surgery because of strict limitations on blood product administration. We describe a liver transplant in a Jehovah's Witness with ankylosing spondylitis.Clinical features: A 49-yr-old Jehovah's Witness with ankylosing spondylitis and end stage liver disease secondary to sclerosing cholangitis underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. Recombinant human erythropoietin (4,000 IU sc every two days for four weeks, then 4,000 IU sc every week) established a normal hemoglobin concentration preoperatively (>140 g·L -1 compared with 120 g·L -1 baseline). Intraoperatively, strategies for reducing risk of blood product transfusion included avoidance of hypothermia (T>35°C), minimal blood sampling (four 1 ml samples), normovolemic hemodilution (two units), administration of Aprotinin (2 million units bolus dose followed by infusion of 500,000 u·hr -1 ), and return of blood (1,500 ml) scavenged from the operative field. Estimated blood loss was 2,200 ml. The preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin concentration was 147 g·L -1 (hematocrit 0.45) and 123 g·L -1 (hematocrit 0.37), respectively. No blood products were required and he was discharged three weeks postoperatively without complication.Conclusion: Technological and pharmacological advances allow patients to undergo surgery traditionally associated with large volume blood loss with reduced risk of blood product administration.Objectif : La transplantation du foie orthotopique est typiquement associée à une perte de sang importante. Les progrès technologiques et pharmacologiques permettent de réaliser une transplantation hépatique chez des patients qui n'auraient pu subir cette opération auparavant à cause de limitations rigoureuses d'administration des produits sanguins. Nous décrivons une greffe hépatique chez un témoin de Jéhovah qui présente une spondylarthrite ankylosante.Éléments cliniques : Un témoin de Jéhovah de 49 ans souffrant de spondylarthrite ankylosante et d'une maladie hépatique terminale secondaire à une cholangite sclérosante a subi une greffe hépatique. L'administration d'érythropoïétine recombinante humaine (4 000 UI sc aux deux jours pendant quatre semaines, puis 4 000 UI sc chaque semaine) a établi une concentration d'hémoglobine préopératoire normale (>140 g·L -1 comparée à 120 g·L -1 au départ). Les stratégies peropératoires adoptées pour réduire le risque lié à la transfusion de produit sanguin comprenaient l'absence d'hypothermie (T >35 o C), le prélèvement minimal de sang (quatre échantillons de 1 ml), l'hémodilution normovolémique (deux unités), l'administration d'aprotinine (des bolus de deux millions d'unités suivis de perfusion de 500 000 u·h -1 ) et le retour du sang épuré (1 500 ml) provenant du champ opéra-toire. La perte sanguine a été de 2 200 ml. La concentration préopératoire et postopératoire d'hémoglobine a ét...

SummaryPressure waveform analysis provides a reliable confirmatory adjunct to the loss-of-resistance technique to identify the epidural space during thoracic epidural anaesthesia, but its role remains controversial in lumbar epidural analgesia during labour. We performed an observational study in 100 labouring women of the sensitivity and specificity of waveform analysis to determine the correct location of the epidural needle. After obtaining loss-of-resistance, the anaesthetist injected 5 ml saline through the epidural needle (accounting for the volume already used in the loss-ofresistance). Sterile extension tubing, connected to a pressure transducer, was attached to the needle. An investigator determined the presence or absence of a pulsatile waveform, synchronised with the heart rate, on a monitor screen that was not in the view of the anaesthetist or the parturient. A bolus of 4 ml lidocaine 2% with adrenaline 5 lg.ml À1 was administered, and the epidural block was assessed after 15 min. Three women displayed no sensory block at 15 min. The results showed: epidural block present, epidural waveform present 93; epidural block absent, epidural waveform absent 2; epidural block present, epidural waveform absent 4; epidural block absent, epidural waveform present 1. Compared with the use of a local anaesthetic bolus to ascertain the epidural space, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of waveform analysis were 95.9%, 66.7%, 98.9% and 33.3%, respectively. Epidural waveform analysis provides a simple adjunct to loss-of-resistance for confirming needle placement during performance of obstetric epidurals, however, further studies are required before its routine implementation in clinical practice.

No abstract