White Papers & Clinical Reviews
FOCUS Trial - Functional outcomes in cardiovascular patients undergoing surgical repair of hip fracture
Clinical Review: N Engl J Med 2011; 365:2453-62
Conclusion: A liberal transfusion strategy, as compared with a restrictive strategy, did not reduce rates of death or inability to walk independently on 60-day follow-up or reduce in-hospital morbidity in elderly patients at high cardiovascular risk.
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Anemia and the Perioperative Patient
White Paper by M. Popovsky, M.D., R. Thurer, M.D., P. Parce, RN
Excerpt: Anemia is a remarkably prevalent condition. Forty percent of patients presenting with hip
fracture and 38% of acutely admitted geriatric patients have anemia (5). Studies of critically ill
patients found that 77% experience anemia in the ICU. Sixty three percent of these patients
had hemoglobin values less than 12 g/dL and 29% less than 10g/dL.
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Blood Management: State of the Art
The Use of Red Blood Cells and Fresh Frozen Plasma
White Paper by M. Popovsky, M.D., R. Thurer, M.D., P. Parce, RN
Excerpt:
Blood transfusion is an integral part of medical and surgical practice, and its safety is now
assumed. Although the transmission of virus-borne diseases – such as HIV and hepatitis – by
blood transfusion are extraordinarily rare events, blood should be viewed as a potent drug that
entails significant risk.
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The Pros and Cons of Preoperative Autologous Blood Donation
White Paper by Mark A. Popovsky, M.D., Robert L. Thurer, M.D.
Preoperative autologous blood donation (PABD) was once a powerful tool to decrease the risk
of transfusion-transmitted disease related to allogeneic blood. With the development of effective
viral screening tests and the recognition of the many disadvantages of stored blood, the need
for and appropriateness of PABD has greatly diminished. There are now better and safer
alternatives. The advantages and disadvantages of PABD are discussed in this review.
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