This is a prospective study performed from August 1987 to September 1988, including 80 adult patients who underwent elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, for the purpose of assessing the efficacy of autodonation (AD) and autotransfusion (AT) in reducing the use of homologous blood and blood products (SDH). The Control Group (GC) did not undergo autodonation (n=38). Pre-operative collection of flood was performed in 42 patients, forming the autodonation Group (GAD), beginning from I to 7 days pre-operatively (GAD I; n=29), and from 8 to 14 days pre-operatively (GAD II; n = 13). Groups GC and GAD had very similiar "pre", "intra" and "post-operative" parameters. The results showed that the use of blood and blood products was similar in the various groups. Nevertheless, the number of patients exposed to SDH (GC 27 (71%) x GAD 10 (23.8%) - p < 0.001), the mean volume of SDH (GC 1241 x GAD 412 ml - p < 0.003) and the mean number of Homologous Units used (GC 6.31 x GAD 1.95 - p < 0.001) demonstrated that AD and AT were efficacious, reducing in 64% the mean volume of SDH, diminishing the exposure to Homologous Units and minimizing the number of patients exposed. The GAD II attained the best indexes, not reaching, however, statistical significance when compared to GAD I, possibility due to the small number of patients. We believe that AT & AD should de encouraged in elective cardiac surgery.
blood; blood; blood; extracorporeal circulation