Residual blood processing by centrifugation, cell salvage or ultrafiltration in cardiac surgery: effects on clinical hemostatic and ex-vivo rheological parameters.

The study compared the effects of three blood concentration techniques after cardiopulmonary bypass on clinical hemostatic and ex-vivo rheological parameters. Residual blood of patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery was processed by centrifugation, cell salvage or ultrafiltration, and retransfused (n = 17 per group). Study parameters included blood loss, (free) hemoglobin, hematocrit, fibrinogen and erythrocyte aggregation, deformability and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate content.