An observational study of an adjusted patient blood management protocol intended to lower rates of transfusion following total knee arthroplasty in patients with preoperative anemia.

Background: Patients with preoperative anemia have a higher risk of requiring blood transfusion after major orthopedic surgery due to increased blood loss and closer transfusion thresholds. Various patient blood management (PBM) policies aim to reduce transfusion rates. This observational study aimed to investigate blood loss and evaluate the effectiveness of an adjusted surgical PBM protocol in patients with anemic chronic disease (ACD) undergoing elective total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Application of an adjusted patient blood management protocol in patients undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty: towards a zero-percent transfusion rate in renal patients-results from an observational cohort study.

Background: Renal patients are at high risk of blood transfusion following major orthopaedic surgery. A variety of patient blood management (PBM) policies have been proposed to reduce the rate of transfusions. The aim of this observational study was to assess the performance of an adjusted PBM protocol in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Surgical prescription of epoetin alfa in contemporary total hip arthroplasty: a prospective comparative study.

Purpose: Pre-operative anaemia treatment has been associated with reduced morbidity in joint arthroplasty. This study examined the impact of a surgical prescription of epoetin (EPO) in contemporary total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Methods: We conducted a comparative study in a series of 1402 primary THAs performed in patients all having a pre-operative haemoglobin (Hb) level documented four to eight  weeks before THA surgery.

Tranexamic acid use and risk of thrombosis in regular users ofantithrombotics undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty: a prospectivecohort study.

Background: The effect of tranexamic acid has not been examined in patients who are regular users of antithrombotics before undergoing total knee arthroplasty. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of tranexamic acid on bleeding and the risk of transfusion and thrombosis in patients taking an antithrombotic treatment before primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty.

Material And Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in a series of 385 consecutive primary total knee arthroplasties performed with and without the administration of tranexamic acid.

The impact of mild peri-operative hypothermia on the effectiveness of tranexamic acid in total hip arthroplasty.

Purpose: Surgical patients experience inadvertent hypothermia as a result of anaesthesia-induced thermoregulatory impairment. Previous studies have found that hypothermia is associated with increased blood loss and transfusion requirements. This study examined the incidence of hypothermia in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA), whether hypothermia is associated with increased blood loss, and whether any such association is modified by tranexamic acid (TXA) administration.