Background
Massive perioperative blood product transfusion may be required with thoracic aortic operations and is associated with poor outcomes. Our objective was to determine the independent predictors of massive transfusion in thoracic aortic surgery patients undergoing deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA).
Methods
The study consisted of 168 consecutive patients undergoing open thoracic aortic procedure utilizing DHCA between July 2005 and August 2008. We identified 26 preoperative and procedural variables as being potentially related to blood product usage. We tested the variables for association with total blood products transfused using a multivariate linear regression model and then constructed a logistic regression model for massive transfusion, defined as requiring 5 or more units of transfused packed red blood cells between incision and 48 hours postoperatively.
Results
Multivariate linear regression determined six significant variables as accounting for 42% of the variation in total blood products transfused: age (P=0.008), preoperative hemoglobin (P=0.04), weight (P=0.02), cardiopulmonary bypass time (P<0.0001), emergent status (P<0.0001), and re-do median sternotomy (P<0.0001). A final predictive logistic regression model associated every 1 g/dL increase in preoperative hemoglobin OR=0.54 [0.43, 0.69], P<0.0001; every 10 minute increase in CPB time, OR=1.15 [1.05, 1.26], P=0.0026; and emergent status OR=4.02 [1.53, 10.55], P=0.0047 with massive transfusion.
Conclusions
Our model described CPB time, emergent status, and preoperative hemoglobin as independent predictors of massive transfusion. These variables, along with weight, age, and re-do median sternotomy are associated with total blood product usage in thoracic aortic operations involving DHCA.