IntroductionTransfusions of one or more packed red blood cells is a widely strategy used in cardiac surgery, even after several evidences of increased morbidity and mortality. The world's blood shortage is also already evident. ObjectiveTo assess whether the risk of mortality is dose-de>pendent on the number of packed red blood cells transfused after coronary artery bypass graft. MethodsBetween June 2009 and July 2010, were analyzed 3010 patients: transfused and non-transfused. Transfused patients were divided into six groups according to the number of packed red blood cells received: one, two, three, four, five, six or more units, then we assess the mortality risk in each group after a year of coronary artery bypass graft. To calculate the odds ratio was used the multivariate logistic regression model. ResultsThe increasing number of allogeneic packed red blood cells transfused results in an increasing risk of mortality, highlighting a dose-dependent relation. The odds ratio values increase with the increased number of packed red blood cells transfused. The death's gross odds ratio was 1.42 (P=0.165), 1.94 (P=0.005), 4.17; 4.22, 8.70, 33.33 (P<0.001) and the adjusted death's odds ratio was 1.22 (P=0.43), 1.52 (P=0.08); 2.85; 2.86; 4.91 and 17.61 (P<0.001), as they received one, two, three, four, five, six or more packed red blood cells, respectively. ConclusionThe mortality risk is directly proportional to the number of packed red blood cells transfused in coronary artery bypass graft. The greater the amount of allogeneic blood transfused the greater the risk of mortality. The current transfusion practice needs to be reevaluated.

IntrodutionAllogeneic blood is an exhaustible therapeutic resource. New evidence indicates that blood consumption is excessive and that donations have decreased, resulting in reduced blood supplies worldwide. Blood transfusions are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, as well as higher hospital costs. This makes it necessary to seek out new treatment options. Such options exist but are still virtually unknown and are rarely utilized.ObjectiveTo gather and describe in a systematic, objective, and practical way all clinical and surgical strategies as effective therapeutic options to minimize or avoid allogeneic blood transfusions and their adverse effects in surgical cardiac patients.MethodsA bibliographic search was conducted using the MeSH term “Blood Transfusion” and the terms “Cardiac Surgery” and “Blood Management.” Studies with titles not directly related to this research or that did not contain information related to it in their abstracts as well as older studies reporting on the same strategies were not included.ResultsTreating anemia and thrombocytopenia, suspending anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents, reducing routine phlebotomies, utilizing less traumatic surgical techniques with moderate hypothermia and hypotension, meticulous hemostasis, use of topical and systemic hemostatic agents, acute normovolemic hemodilution, cell salvage, anemia tolerance (supplementary oxygen and normothermia), as well as various other therapeutic options have proved to be effective strategies for reducing allogeneic blood transfusions.ConclusionThere are a number of clinical and surgical strategies that can be used to optimize erythrocyte mass and coagulation status, minimize blood loss, and improve anemia tolerance. In order to decrease the consumption of blood components, diminish morbidity and mortality, and reduce hospital costs, these treatment strategies should be incorporated into medical practice worldwide.

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This article reports a case of a cardiac retransplantation without the use of blood products, in a 6 year old child, with severe dilated cardiomyopathy after chronic graft rejection and refractory to clinical treatment. To avoid a blood transfusion in this surgery a multidisciplinary approach was planned, which involved the use of preoperative erythropoietin, acute normovolemic hemodilution and intraoperative cell savage with autologous blood recovery system, as well as a meticulous hemostasis and reduced postoperative phlebotomy. Resumo Este artigo relata um caso de retransplante cardíaco sem o uso de hemoderivados, em uma criança de 6 anos, com miocardiopatia dilatada grave, após rejeição crônica do enxerto e refratária ao tratamento clínico. Para evitar transfusão sanguínea nessa cirurgia, foi realizado planejamento multidisciplinar, que envolveu o uso de eritropoietina no pré-operatório, hemodiluição normovolêmica aguda e recuperação de sangue autólogo no intraoperatório (cell saver), bem como hemostasia meticulosa e redução de flebotomias no pós-operatório. Descritores: Transplante de coração. Criança. Eritropoetina. Transfusão de sangue autóloga. Rejeição de enxerto.

Blood transfusions have still been used as a standard therapy to treat severe anemia. Current evidences point to both excessive allogeneic blood consumption and decreased donations, which result in reduced stocks in blood banks. Several studies have increasingly suggested a more restrictive transfusion practice for blood products. Currently, a number of autologous blood conservation protocols in surgeries have been noted. We report a case of severe anemia with 2.9 g/dL hemoglobin, which was successfully handled without using the standard therapy to treat anemia with hemotransfusions. Such a case of severe anemia condition resulted after the patient was submitted to ascending aortic aneurism repair, valvar aortic replacement, reimplantation of right coronary ostium, followed by a coronary artery bypass grafting and several postoperative complications. The main clinical and surgical strategies used in this case to avoid blood transfusions were acute normovolemic hemodilution, intraoperative blood cell salvage, and meticulous hemostasis, beyond epsilon-aminocaproic acid, desmopressin, prothrombin complex concentrate, human fibrinogen concentrate, factor VIIa recombinant, erythropoietin and hyperoxic ventilation.

Integrantes da ordem Testemunhas de Jeová podem ter suas convicções religiosas afrontadas no contexto da relação médico-paciente. Isso ocorre quando a elas é administrada, à revelia de vontade, a hemotransfusão, procedimento vedado pela sua crença. Nesse contexto, o objetivo do estudo foi propor boas práticas que abarquem dialógica e sistematicamente conhecimentos médicos e ético-jurídicos a fim de prevenir ou solucionar conflitos nesse campo. Para isso, o estudo utilizou-se de metodologia qualitativa, de natureza descritiva e exploratória. Como resultado, foram apresentadas quatro medidas clínicas e quatro providências ético-jurídicas capazes de municiar as pessoas envolvidas (pacientes e seus familiares, profissionais de saúde e estabelecimentos hospitalares) de condições concretas para uma condução progressivamente mais adequada das situações conflituosas. A adoção de tais providências possui potencial para reduzir embates, acelerar tratamentos e torná-los mais eficazes, protegendo, no maior grau possível, a dignidade humana e a liberdade religiosa dos pacientes.

Introdução: A pandemia de COVID-19 provocou uma significativa escassez dos estoques de sangue em diversos países. Diferentes estratégias utilizadas neste cenário, como suspensão de cirurgias eletivas, chamamento de mais doadores e afrouxamento de normativas usadas nos hemocentros apresentam limitações. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a eficácia, segurança e custo-efetividade de um conjunto de cuidados médicos chamado de Gerenciamento de Sangue do Paciente (Patient Blood Management – PBM) através de uma revisão narrativa da literatura. Métodos: Busca não sistemática da literatura, sem restrição de tipo de estudo, data ou idioma, nas bases de dados científicas: MEDLINE, LILACS, EMBASE, Biblioteca Cochrane, SciELO, Scopus e Web of Science. Resultados: Ensaios clínicos randomizados e metanálises de estudos observacionais demonstraram que o uso de PBM promoveu redução das transfusões de sangue, do tempo de internação hospitalar, das complicações como insuficiência renal aguda, infecção, eventos tromboembólicos, e da mortalidade. Estudos de análise econômica observaram relevante economia de recursos financeiros nos locais em que o PBM foi implementado. Conclusão: O PBM é eficaz, seguro e custo-efetivo, promovendo redução das transfusões de sangue, melhora nos desfechos clínicos e economia de recursos financeiros, características que o tornam relevante diante de um sistema de saúde sobrecarregado pela pandemia.