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UNLABELLED: Although autologous blood donation is an alternative to allogeneic transfusion, some authors had questioned its cost-effectiveness. New techniques, like red blood cell apheresis could improve the cost-effectiveness of autologous blood transfusion, therefore we have valued the efficiency of this procedure in autologous blood donation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 131 patients undergoing different types of surgery who entered the preoperative autologous blood donation program over a one year period. Apheresis was performed with the MCS 3p from Haemeonetics. RESULTS: We were able to collect 304 red blood cell units from 131 patients. The average yield per procedure was two units (88 cases, 67.2%). In 41 patients (31.3%), we collected 3 units and, in two cases, 4 units were collected. The mean volume of the units was 255 (191-280). 18 (13.7% patients had an adverse reaction. Most of these were mild. Only in one case was it necessary to stop the procedure. 202 units (66.4%) were transfused to 97 patients (74%). 12 (9.2%) patients also used allogeneic transfusions (mean units: 0.18+/-0.05 with a range 1-5). CONCLUSION: Red blood cell apheresis is a useful procedure in autologous blood donation.

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PURPOSE: Thrombopheresis procedures have been recently expanded with the development or different programmes. Taking into account that this reasonably safe procedure is not devoid of complications, it would be desirable to select those individuals with lower risk of suffering adverse side effects as donors. The thrombopheresis procedures performed in our hospital between 1986 and 1997 were analysed in order to establish the useful guidelines for such selection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All the thrombopheresis procedures performed in the Asturias Central Hospital blood bank in the 1986-1987 period were analysed. The first procedure per donor, along with all data referred to adverse effects appearing during thrombopheresis, were collected. Sex, age, body, weight, blood cells count (before and after thrombopheresis) and serum calcium levels (before and after thrombopheresis) were taken as variables with predictive value for adverse effects. With regard to the procedure, the model of cell separator, the duration of the procedure, the amount and type of anticoagulant solution and the prophylactic use of calcium ions were assessed. RESULTS: A total number of 1,024 thrombophereses were analysed. Some types of adverse effect were seen in 259 instances (25.3%). Of these, 70.3%, were mild, 29.3% moderate and 0.4% severe. The commonest adverse effect was perioral paraesthesia. Of the different variables studied, female sex and low weight acquired predictive value with respect to the occurrence of adverse effects. Prophylactic administration of calcium did not prevent the appearance of complications. CONCLUSIONS: The thrombopheresis procedures may present adverse side effects in a high percentage of cases, which, although mostly mild, require specialised personnel for identification and management. Males weighing over 70 kg are less prone to suffer such effects. Oral administration of calcium before the apheresis does not prevent the adverse reactions.

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PURPOSE: Transfusion is not devoid of adverse effects; therefore every transfusional procedure must be indicated correctly. With this in mind in 1991 transfusion guidelines were published by our Hospital Transfusion Committee. Four years later, a retrospective audit was performed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We have evaluated all blood component orders (order is a transfusion request) during one month, classifying them as appropriate or inappropriate according to the transfusion guidelines. The evaluation was performed 24 hours after transfusion. The results obtained were compared with the ones obtained before the published transfusion guidelines. RESULTS: 481 transfusion orders were studied. 87 percent (420/481) were considered appropriate according to the transfusion guidelines. These 481 orders referred to the transfusion of 1178 units to 293 patients. 12 percent of the transfused units was considered as inappropriate. 16 percent of the patients (48/239) had at least on inappropriate transfusion procedure. The comparison with the data obtained in 1991 showed a significant increase of the appropriate transfusion orders (74 versus 87 percent). The use of fresh frozen plasma showed the greatest incidence in inappropriate use, mainly in haemorrhagic disorders without factor deficit. The patients with haemoglobin levels between 70 and 100 g/L without signs of hypoxia were the most important cause of inappropriate use of red cell concentrates. And the patients with platelet levels > 20 x 10(9)/L were the major cause of inappropriate use of platelet concentrates. CONCLUSION: Transfusion guidelines knowledge improves the use of blood components.

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OBJECTIVES: Several mechanisms in formation and destruction of platelets could be involved in thrombocytopenia associated with HIV infection (TP/HIV). This epidemiological study investigated the pathogenic role of immunoglobulins associated with platelets (IAP), circulant immunocomplexes (CIC) and anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) in patients with TP/HIV: PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 207 adults patients infected with HIV were studied. Patients were classified as thrombocytopenic (platelet count < 100,000/mm3, n = 68); borderline thrombocytopenic (platelet count from 100,000 to 150,000/mm3, n = 23) and non-thrombopenic (platelet count > 150,000/m3, n = 116). IAP were investigated by an immunofluorescence technique with flow cytometry reading and eluate technique. CIC were investigated by C1q fixation measured by nephelometry. IgG-ACA determination was made with a commercially available ELISA technique. RESULTS: Prevalence of thrombocytopenia in the general cohort of seropositive patients was 16%. Fifteen per cent of these patients had severe TP. There were no significant differences in epidemiology or prognosis among patients with and without TP. Patients with TP/HIV had increase rates of IAP, CIC and ACA (78%, 42% and 89%). These parameters were also increased in a similar percentage of non-TP infected patients (73%, 52%, 94% respectively). No correlation was observed between platelet counts and values of these immunological phenomena. CONCLUSIONS: TP/HIV is common, mild, with no prognostic significance and occurs in an heterogeneous patient population. Immune phenomena associated with a decreased platelet survival occur nonspecifically and with an uncertain pathogenic meaning.

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PURPOSE: Antibody formation against red blood cells' antigen is a very important complication due to transfusions, and it can make the following transfusions difficult. To avoid this, it has been proposed giving identical red blood cells for the antigens more frequently involved in sensitizations. To evaluate this fact, we have accomplished a study with the transfused patients in our Hospital since 1990. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 10,308 transfused patients in the Hospital Nitra. Sra. de Covadonga (Oviedo), between January 1990 and March 1994, were studied. The patients have been included in two groups: The first one was constituted by 4,226 patients from the Haematology and the Nephrology Departments, who received red blood cells units compatible with ABO and CcDEe antigens. The second group was formed by the remainding patients transfused with red blood cells compatible only with ABO and D antigens. RESULTS: All 165 antibodies were detected in 132 patients, which means an incidence of 1.3 percent. In 63 cases, antibodies were present before the first transfusion. In the remaining patients, an allosentitization of 0.2 percent in group 1 and 1 percent in group 2 (p < 0.0001) was shown. This difference cannot be explained only for transfusing red blood cells with the same Rh phenotype in the group 1, because a lower immune response had persisted when we analyzed the other antibodies. More than 70 percent of antibodies appeared before the 10th transfusion. DISCUSSION: A lower sensitization exist in the patients of group 1. This seems to be caused by a state of immunosuppression for their disease or their treatments. However, in some patients, the risk of allosensitization persists, so we think it is a good practice to transfuse red blood cells without the most immunogenic antigens in haematological and nephrological patients who already have one antibody.

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We report a case of a graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in a patient with non Hodgkin Lymphoma who received multiple blood transfusion for anemia and thrombocytopenia. Although WBC-reduction filters were used, the patient developed a transfusion associated graft-versus-host disease. We do not recommend WBC-reduction filters to prevent postransfusional-GVHD.

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