Abstract
In the first part of the study haemorheologic changes in 8 patients who received intra-operative autotransfusion were investigated during and after cardiopulmonary by-pass (CPB) surgery for aorto-coronary by-pass and compared with those obtained in comparable groups of bank blood transfused or non-transfused patients. No significant differences were found in blood viscosity at both shear rates tested, in plasma viscosity and in fibrinogen levels; the only variations were related to the different haematocrit levels. In the second part of the study the filterability of erythrocytes, after being processed for autotranfusion (“autotrans”), was determined in 10 patients submitted to CPB by means of the St. George’s Filtrometer and compared with the filterability of red blood cells obtained by simultaneous venous blood sampling. Filterability was no different in “autotrans” and venous blood erythrocytes. In conclusion our data show that intra-operative autotransfusion during CPB surgery does not induce any measurable haemorheologic deterioration and seems therefore a safe procedure in relation to the flow properties of blood.
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