Autologous Blood Transfusion in Surgical Outreach Camp

Apurb Sharma,Balkrishna Bhattarai

doi:10.3126/jsan.v2i1.13555

Abstract

Poor access to healthcare including surgical care is one of the known problems faced by people living in the remote terrains of Nepal. Reaching to the community with the help of health camps has been exercised for many years in Nepal. However, surgery in such camps is often hindered by many obstacles including unavailability of blood products, lack of or poor storage facility for donated blood. Surgery often needs to be deferred in otherwise healthy patients with rare blood groups. Autologous blood collection with acute normovolaemic haemodilution is one of the blood sparing techniques used in cases where it is difficult to get matched blood or when allogenic blood cannot be used. We report a case of autologous blood collection and subsequent transfusion in a patient undergoing vaginal hysterectomy and pelvic floor repair performed at a surgical outreach camp organized in a remote district of Nepal.Journal of Society of Anesthesiologists of Nepal 2015; 2(1): 28-30

Highlights

History of anaesthesia in Nepal dates back to 1933.1 geographical remoteness and difficult terrain still prevent many Nepalese from access to minimal essential healthcare including anaesthesia and surgery
We describe a case with rare blood group that underwent vaginal hysterectomy (VH) with pelvic floor repair (PFR) and received autologous transfusion in a remote health camp setting using Acute Normovolaemic Haemodilution (ANH)
Unavailability of matched blood still remains a major hindrance in undertaking surgery in individuals with rare blood groups

Summary

A PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL

Apurb Sharma*, Balkrishna Bhattarai** *Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre, Bansbari, Kathmandu, Nepal. ** BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Sunsari, Nepal Published 26.02.2015 © Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.

Introduction

Discussion