Donation of blood by the pregnant patient for autologous transfusion

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the safety and utility of autologous blood donation in third trimester pregnancy. Thirty-seven obstetric patients, 32 with an obstetric risk factor, donated an average of 485 ml of blood. Twenty-one of the 37 patients were expected to undergo cesarean section. Nonstress testing was performed before and after phlebotomy. Continuous fetal heart rate monitoring was maintained throughout the donation, which lasted an average of 9 minutes. All nonstress test results were normal before and after the phlebotomy except in one case. All fetal heart rates remained stable during phlebotomy and premature labor was not precipitated. All fetal outcomes were normal. One patient delivered on the day of phlebotomy, 6 hours after the procedure. Only one of the autologous units was used, in a patient who had a pelvic infection and moderate anemia. The incidence of primary cesarean section was 35%. Phlebotomy of the mother appears to be safe for the fetus at term. Further investigation is needed to determine the safety of removal of more than 1 unit of blood and blood donation at earlier gestational ages.