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Assessment of the Use of Transfusion Therapy Perioperatively in Patients with Sickle Cell Hemoglobinopathies

During the period of 1978 to 1986, 66 patients (31 men, 35 women) with a mean age of 28.4 years and various sickle cell hemogiobinopathics underwent 82 surgical procedures; 28 were emergencies. Fifty of the 66 patients had HbSS, 13/66 had HbSC, and 3/66 had HbS-thalassemia. All 66 patients received transfusions, although not for all procedures. In 48 patients, transfusion therapy was only administered preopera-tivcly. Simple transfusions (1 to 10 units) were administered in 31 of 48 procedures. Exchange transfusions (1 to 6 units) were performed in nine of 48 procedures. Preoperative hematocrit ranged from 7.0% to 54.2%; of those receiving transfusions the hematocrit ranged from 22.6% to 53.7%. Intraoperative transfusions (1 to 10 units) were performed in 14 of 82 procedures; postoperative transfusions (1 to 6 units) were performed in 13 of 82 procedures. No advantage was noted in preoperative exchange transfusion as measured by a decrease in postoperative complications; a slight increase was seen in atclcctasis in this group of patients with preoperative transfusions. An increase was reported in the complication rate of patients with an hematocrit of <30%. The type of transfusion (preoperative, intra-operntivc, or postoperative) administered did not appear to be related to postoperative morbidity rates. The complication rate for simple transfusions was 51.6% and for multiple transfusions, 55.6%. HbSS hemoglobinopathy had the higher complication rate. The hepatitis B surface antigen was demonstrated in four of 66 (6.1%) patients; ten of 66 (15.2%) developed alloantibodies. The benefits of transfusion therapy should be judged according to clinical needs; not all sickle cell patients need exchange or preoperative transfusion.