Regardless of recent advances in PAD treatment, current outcomes remain poor especially in CLI. Despite overwhelming evidence for reduction of limb loss by revascularization, CLI patients still received significantly less angiographies and revascularizations.

This population-based analysis documents the significant rise of PAD, particularly of the CLI subset, and highlights the malign prognosis associated with PAD as indicated by high amputation and in-hospital mortality rates.

Background and objectives Despite the many studies showing an association between CKD and a high risk of ischemic events and mortality, the association of CKD with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) still has not been well described.Design, setting, participants, & measurements This large cohort study assessed the association of CKD, even in the earlier stages, with morbidity, short-and long-term outcome, and costs among patients with PAD. ). The ratio of women to men was 1:1.2. Compared with patients without known CKD, those with CKD had higher frequencies of coronary artery disease (1.8-fold higher; P,0.001), chronic heart failure (3.3-fold higher; P,0.001), and Rutherford PAD categories 5 and 6 (1.8-fold higher; P,0.001); underwent significantly fewer revascularizations (0.9-fold fewer; P,0.001); had a nearly two-fold higher amputation rate (P,0.001); had higher frequencies of in-hospital infections (2.1-fold higher; P,0.001), acute renal failure (2.8-fold higher; P,0.001), and sepsis (1.9-fold higher; P,0.001); had a 2.5-fold higher frequency of myocardial infarction (P,0.001); and had a nearly three-fold higher in-hospital mortality rate (P,0.001). In an adjusted multivariable Cox regression model, CKD remained a significant predictor of long-term outcome of patients with PAD during follow-up for up to 4 years (until December 31, 2012; median, 775 days; 25th-75th percentiles, 469-1120 days); the hazard ratio was 2.59 (95% confidence interval, 2.21 to 2.78; P,0.001). The projected mortality rates after 4 years were 27% in patients without known CKD and 46%, 52%, 72%, and 78% in those with CKD stages 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Lengths of hospital stay and reimbursement costs were on average nearly 1.4-fold higher (P,0.001) in patients who also had CKD. ResultsConclusions This analysis illustrates the significant and important association of CKD with in-hospital and long-term mortality, morbidity, amputation rates, duration and costs of hospitalization, in-hospital treatment, and complications in patients with PAD.

Background: More blood components are required in cardiac surgery than in most other medical disciplines. The overall blood demand may increase as a function of the total number of cardiothoracic and vascular surgical interventions and their level of complexity, and also when considering the demographic ageing. Awareness has grown with respect to adverse events, such as transfusion-related immunomodulation by allogeneic blood supply, which can contribute to morbidity and mortality. Therefore, programmes of patient blood management (PBM) have been implemented to avoid unnecessary blood transfusions and to standardise the indication of blood transfusions more strictly with aim to improve patients' overall outcomes. Methods: A comprehensive retrospective analysis of the utilisation of blood components in the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the University Hospital of Münster (UKM) was performed over a 4-year period. Based on a medical reporting system of all medical disciplines, which was established as part of a PBM initiative, all transfused patients in cardiac surgery and their blood components were identified in a diagnosis- and medical procedure-related system, which allows the precise allocation of blood consumption to interventional procedures in cardiac surgery, such as coronary or valve surgery. Results: This retrospective single centre study included all in-patients in cardiac surgery at the UKM from 2009 to 2012, corresponding to a total of 1,405-1,644 cases per year. A blood supply was provided for 55.6-61.9% of the cardiac surgery patients, whereas approximately 9% of all in-patients at the UKM required blood transfusions. Most of the blood units were applied during cardiac valve surgery and during coronary surgery. Further surgical activities with considerable use of blood components included thoracic surgery, aortic surgery, heart transplantations and the use of artificial hearts. Under the measures of PBM in 2012 a noticeable decrease in the number of transfused cases was observed compared to the period from 2009 to 2011 before implementation of the PBM initiative (red blood cells p < 0.002; fresh frozen plasma p < 0.0006; platelets p < 0.00006). Conclusion: Until now, cardiac surgery comes along with a significant blood supply. By using a case-related data evaluation programme, the consumption of each blood component can be linked to clinical performance groups and, if necessary, to individual patients. Based on the results obtained from this retrospective analysis, prospective studies are underway to begin conducting target / actual performance comparisons to better understand the individual decision-making by the attending physicians with respect to transfusions.

Background: Demographic data illustrate clearly that people in highly developed countries get older, and the elderly need more blood transfusions than younger patients. Additionally, special extensive therapies result in an increased consumption of blood components. Beyond that the aging of the population reduces the total number of preferably young and healthy blood donors. Therefore, Patient Blood Management will become more and more important in order to secure an increasing blood supply under fair-minded conditions. Methods: At the University Hospital of Münster (UKM) a comprehensive retrospective analysis of the utilization of all conventional blood components was performed including all medical and surgical disciplines. In parallel, a new medical reporting system was installed to provide a monthly analysis of the transfusional treatments in the whole infirmary, in every department, and in special blood-consuming cases of interest, as well. Results: The study refers to all UKM in-patient cases from 2009 to 2011. It clearly demonstrates that older patients (>60 years, 35.2–35.7% of all cases, but 49.4–52.6% of all cases with red blood cell (RBC) transfusions, 36.4–41. 6% of all cases with platelet (PTL, apheresis only) transfusions, 45.2– 48.0% of all cases with fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusions) need more blood products than younger patients. Male patients (54.4–63.9% of all cases with transfusions) are more susceptible to blood transfusions than female patients (36.1–45.6% of all cases with transfusions). Most blood components are used in cardiac, visceral, and orthopedic surgery (49.3–55.9% of all RBC units, 45.8–61.0% of all FFP units). When regarding medical disciplines, most transfusions are administered to hematologic and oncologic patients (12.9–17.7% of all RBC units, 9.2– 12.0% of all FFP units). The consumption of PTL in this special patient cohort (40.6–50.9% of all PTL units) is more pronounced than in all other surgical or in non-surgical disciplines. Conclusion: The results obtained from our retrospective analysis may help to further optimize the responsible and medical indication-related utilization of blood transfusions as well as the recruitment of blood donors and their timing. It may be also a helpful tool in order to avoid needless transfusions and transfusion-associated adverse events.