Management Of Perioperative Bleeding Research Articles

Effectiveness Of Platelet Markers In Estimating The Amount Of Intraoperative Bleeding In Vertebra Surgery

AIMS: One of the most important steps in perioperative bleeding management is the predetermination of the patient at risk. Even if there is no hemostatic abnormality in vertebral surgery, which is a major surgery, severe bleeding can be encountered and many perioperative blood transfusions might be required. To date, there are no studies in the literature examining platelet markers in terms of predictivity in intraoperative bleeding during vertebral surgeries. In this study; we investigated the effectiveness of preoperative mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), plateletcrit (PCT), mean platelet volume lymphocyte count ratio (MPVLR), and platelet count to lymphocyte count ratio (PLR) values in predicting the amount of intraoperative bleeding in patients who will undergo vertebral surgery. 
 METHODS: After the approval from the ethics committee, patients who were planned for vertebral surgery by the neurosurgeon were identified. Patient demographic data such as gender, age, ASA score and body mass index (BMI), MPV, PDW, PCT, MPVLR, and PLR values were recorded. Total surgery time, the number of vertebral transpedicular screwing, and laminectomy levels performed as surgical procedures were recorded. The amount of intraoperative bleeding was determined by calculating the amount of blood accumulated in the aspirator and the amount of blood collected by the sponge during surgery. 
 RESULTS: Of the 63 patients included in the study, 60.3% (n=38) were female and 39.7% (n=25) were male. The mean age of the patients was 54.7 ± 11 years and the mean BMI was 29.6 ± 4.6. No correlation was found between the amount of bleeding and gender, age, MPV, PDW, PCT, MPVLR, or PLR values. A significantly high correlation was found between amount of bleeding and BMI, duration of surgery, and the number of transpedicular screwing segments. 
 CONCLUSION: Platelet markers do not appear to have an effect on the amount of bleeding. However, as the BMI increases, the duration of surgery prolongs and the number of transpedicular screw segments increases for which the amount of bleeding increases.

Unlocking the potential of fondaparinux: guideline for optimal usage and clinical suggestions (2023).

Background: Thromboembolic disease is associated with a high rate of disability or death and gravely jeopardizes people's health and places considerable financial pressure on society. The primary treatment for thromboembolic illness is anticoagulant medication. Fondaparinux, a parenteral anticoagulant medicine, is still used but is confusing due to its disparate domestic and international indications and lack of knowledge about its usage. Its off-label drug usage in therapeutic settings and irrational drug use are also common. Objective: The aim of this guideline is to enhance the judicious clinical application of fondaparinux by consolidating the findings of evidence-based research on the drug and offering superior clinical suggestions. Methods: Seventeen clinical questions were developed by 37 clinical pharmacy experts, and recommendations were formulated under the supervision of three methodologists. Through methodical literature searches and the use of recommendation, assessment, development and evaluation grading techniques, we gathered evidence. Results: This guideline culminated in 17 recommendations, including the use of fondaparinux for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention and treatment, perioperative surgical prophylaxis, specific diseases, special populations, bleeding and overdose management. For different types of VTE, we recommend first assessing thrombotic risk in hospitalized patients and then administering the drug according to the patient's body mass. In surgical patients in the perioperative period, fondaparinux may be used for VTE prophylaxis, but postoperative use usually requires confirmation that adequate hemostasis has been achieved. Fondaparinux may be used for anticoagulation prophylaxis in patients hospitalized for oncological purposes, in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) after resuscitation, in patients with cirrhosis combined with portal vein thrombosis (PVT), in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), and in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Fondaparinux should be used with caution in special populations, such as pregnant female patients with a history of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) or platelet counts less than 50 × 109/L, pregnant patients with a prethrombotic state (PTS) combined with recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), and children. For bleeding caused by fondaparinux, dialysis may partially remove the drug. Conclusion: The purpose of this guideline is to provide all healthcare providers with high-quality recommendations for the clinical use of fondaparinux and to improve the rational use of the drug in clinical practice. Currently, there is a lack of a dedicated antidote for the management of fondaparinux. The clinical investigation of activated prothrombin complex concentrate (APCC) or recombinant activated factor VII (rFⅦa) as potential reversal agents is still pending. This critical gap necessitates heightened scrutiny and research emphasis, potentially constituting a novel avenue for future inquiries into fondaparinux sodium. A meticulous examination of adverse events and safety profiles associated with the utilization of fondaparinux sodium will contribute significantly to a more comprehensive understanding of its inherent risks and benefits within the clinical milieu.

Massive Transfusion/Hemorrhage Protocols Versus Goal-Directed Bleeding Management: Science Gone Eerie?

Key questions in bleeding management are “Why does my patient bleed?” and “How to fix it?” To answer the first question, the high negative predictive value of viscoelastic testing can be used to identify coagulopathic bleeding. Accordingly, goal-directed bleeding management (GDBM) guided by viscoelastic testing has been shown to be an effective and essential part of the second pillar of patient blood management (PBM) with the aim to improve patients’ outcomes and safety. Patient’s medical and drug history – with a focus on medication with oral anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs – are important in emergency, urgent, and elective surgery. Furthermore, risk scores have been developed and validated for traumatic and obstetric hemorrhage and can be helpful tools to predict severe hemorrhage and the need for massive transfusion. Acidosis, hypocalcemia, anemia, and hypothermia (“diamond of death in trauma”) are important basic conditions for hemostasis and good predictors of coagulopathy and should be closely monitored by blood gas analysis and corrected in bleeding patients. Earlier time to hemostasis was associated with decreased mortality in trauma studies. Therefore, GDBM aims to stop the bleeding as soon as possible and avoid the main killers in blood transfusion: Transfusion-associated circulatory overload, transfusion-related acute lung injury, transfusion-related immune modulation, and thrombosis. Thromboelastometry-guided bleeding management follows the concepts of Good Medical Practice and Precision Medicine. Here, rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM)-guided bleeding management algorithms are using a stepwise approach based on the sequence “Treat first what kills first:” (1) Fibrinolysis management, (2) clot firmness management, (3) thrombin generation management, and (4) avoidance of hypercoagulability and thrombosis. Here, thromboelastometry can not only identify patients with hypercoagulability and increased risk of thrombosis but also ROTEM-guided bleeding management can avoid thromboembolic complications, too. This may support the idea of personalized antithrombotic therapy guided by viscoelastic testing in the postoperative period. Finally, PBM is not about blood transfusion: It is about patients’ outcomes. Accordingly, several meta-analyses based on more than 20 randomized controlled trials on the effect of viscoelastic testing-guided perioperative bleeding management did not only demonstrate a significant reduction in transfusion requirements but also a significant reduction in mortality and postoperative acute kidney injury. The reduction in postoperative acute kidney injury again has a significant impact on long-term survival. Accordingly, recent PBM guidelines recommend the implementation of viscoelastic testing-guided bleeding management algorithms with a 1B or 1A recommendation. This is also addressed in the World Health Organization policy brief about the urgent need to implement PBM in all member states in a timely manner. However, even if the number of national activities is increasing, there is still a long way to go.

Interest in the new thromboelastometry device, Clot Pro®, for predicting thrombocytopenia and hypofibrinogenemia during lung transplantation

IntroductionLung transplantation is associated with high proportion of transfusion. Monitoring of coagulopathy using viscoelastic tests could aid in the perioperative management of bleeding. The aim of the study was to assess the predictive cut-off values for thrombocytopenia and hypofibrinogenemia using the new thromboelastography analyzer, ClotPro. MethodsWe retrospectively enrolled 65 patients who underwent lung transplantation and were sampled for both viscoelastic assays and conventional coagulation assays simultaneously during the procedure. We characterized the correlation between the EX-test (extrinsic pathway) and platelet count as well as between the FIB-test (extrinsic pathway after platelet inhibition) and fibrinogen concentration. Then, we used ROC curve analysis to determine the optimal EX-test and FIB-test values for predicting thrombocytopenia and hypofibrinogenemia. ResultsAll the amplitude values of the EX-test (A5, A10, A20, MCF) showed correlation with platelets count (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient ranging from 0.75 to 0.77, all p < 0.0001). We also observed a strong correlation between the amplitude values of the FIB-test (A5, A10, A20 and MCF) and the fibrinogen concentration (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient ranging from 0.68 to 0.71, all p < 0.0001). The AUCs of the EX-test values for thrombocytopenia <100 G/L and <80 G/L ranged from 0.80 to 0.93. Similarly, the AUCs of the FIB-test values for hypofibrinogenemia <1.5 g/L and <2 g/L ranged from 0.74 to 0.83. These results indicate that only the five-minute parameter of thromboelastometry is sufficient for detecting thrombocytopenia and hypofibrinogenemia in patients undergoing lung transplantation. The proposed cut off values for the EX-test to predict thrombocytopenia <80 G/L showed high sensitivity (>86 %), high specificity (>89 %) and high negative predictive value (>95 %). FIB-test cut off values predictive of fibrinogen below 1.5 g/L showed sensitivity (>78 %), specificity (>55 %) and negative predictive value (>88 %). ConclusionsOur study provided preliminary results that are useful for developing a ClotPro-based algorithm to guide transfusion in lung transplantation. Future interventional studies will be necessary to validate these cut-off values of ClotPro for guiding transfusion.

Plasma-derived human factor X concentrate for the treatment of patients with hereditary factor X deficiency.

Hereditary factor X (FX) deficiency (HFXD) is an autosomal recessive rare bleeding disorder that leads to defects in the FX protein. Depending on the degree of deficiency, patients may be at risk of life-threatening bleeding episodes. Historical treatments for FX deficiency include prothrombin complex concentrates, which can increase the risk of thrombosis, and fresh frozen plasma, which can cause volume overload and transfusion reactions. Plasma-derived FX (pdFX), a single-factor, high-purity, high-potency human FX treatment, was approved in 2015 in the United States and in 2016 in Europe for on-demand treatment and prophylaxis of bleeding episodes and perioperative management of patients with HFXD. Five studies that examined the use of pdFX in patients with mild (plasma FX activity [FX:C] ≥5IU/dL), moderate (FX:C ≥1 and<5IU/dL), or severe (FX:C<1IU/dL) HFXD were reviewed: TEN01, TEN02 and TEN03 were prospective, open-label, multicentre, nonrandomised studies, and TEN05 and TEN06 were multicentre retrospective studies. When used as an on-demand treatment, pdFX was judged by investigators to be successful in treating 41/42 (97.6%), 2/3 (66.6%) and 79/79 (100%) bleeds in TEN01, TEN02 and TEN05, respectively. When used prophylactically, pdFX was judged 'excellent' for the prevention of bleeds in nine (100%) and eight (100%) patients in TEN02 and TEN05, respectively. Perioperative treatment and pharmacokinetics were also assessed. pdFX was safe and well tolerated. Together, these studies support the use of pdFX for on-demand treatment of bleeding, routine prophylaxis, and perioperative management of bleeding in patients with HFXD.

Coagulation support during perioperative bleeding management.

Coagulation support during perioperative bleeding management.

Altuviiio - a longer-acting factor VIII product for hemophilia A.

The FDA has approved Altuviiio (Sanofi), a von Willebrand Factor (VWF)-independent, recombinant factor VIII concentrate, for routine prophylaxis, on-demand treatment to control bleeding episodes, and perioperative management of bleeding in children and adults with hemophilia A. The manufacturer claims that Altuviiio, which was previously called efanesoctocog alfa, delivers normal to near-normal factor VIII levels for most of the week with once-weekly intravenous dosing.

Eftrenonacog Alfa: A Review in Haemophilia B.

Eftrenonacog alfa (Alprolix®) is an extended half-life recombinant factor IX (rFIX)-Fc fusion protein (hereafter referred to as rFIXFc). Administered as an intravenous bolus, it is approved for prophylactic use and the treatment of bleeding in patients with haemophilia B in various countries worldwide, including those of the EU, as well as the USA. In multinational, phase III trials, rFIXFc was effective for the prophylaxis, perioperative management or on-demand treatment of bleeding in male patients with severe haemophilia B regardless of age and irrespective of whether or not they had been previously treated with FIX replacement products. Prophylactic efficacy was maintained over the longer term (up to 5years) in previously treated patients. rFIXFc effectiveness in the real-world setting is supported by results of prospective studies, as well as the outcomes of several retrospective trials. rFIXFc was well tolerated in clinical trials in previously treated and untreated children, adolescents and/or adults with severe haemophilia B. Thus, rFIXFc continues to represent a useful treatment option among the haemophilia B patient population.

MANAGEMENT OF SEVERE PERIOPERATIVE BLEEDING

Introduction. Perioperative bleeding remains a major complication during and after surgery, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Its prevalence depends on numerous factors affecting the hemostasis system.&#x0D; Objective. Review of updated guidelines for the perioperative management of patients with severe bleeding&#x0D; Conclusions. Management of perioperative bleeding involves multiple assessments and strategies to ensure appropriate patient care. First of all, it is important to identify a group of patients with an increased risk of perioperative bleeding. Strategies to correct preoperative anemia and stabilize macro- and microcirculation should then be employed to optimize the patient's bleeding tolerance. Finally, targeted interventions should be used to reduce intraoperative and postoperative bleeding, and thus to reduce subsequent morbidity and mortality.

Efanesoctocog Alfa: First Approval.

Efanesoctocog alfa (ALTUVIIIOTM; [antihemophilic factor (recombinant), Fc-VWF-XTEN fusion protein-ehtl]), a von Willebrand factor (VWF) independent, recombinant DNA-derived Factor VIII (FVIII) concentrate, has been developed by Bioverativ Therapeutics, Inc (a Sanofi company) and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (Sobi). Efanesoctocog alfa was approved in February 2023 in the USA for use in adults and children with hemophilia A (congenital FVIII deficiency) for: routine prophylaxis to reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes; on-demand treatment and control of bleeding episodes; perioperative management of bleeding. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of efanesoctocog alfa leading to this first approval for hemophilia A.

Management of severe peri-operative bleeding: Guidelines from the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care: Second update 2022.

Management of peri-operative bleeding is complex and involves multiple assessment tools and strategies to ensure optimal patient care with the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality. These updated guidelines from the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) aim to provide an evidence-based set of recommendations for healthcare professionals to help ensure improved clinical management. A systematic literature search from 2015 to 2021 of several electronic databases was performed without language restrictions. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies and to formulate recommendations. A Delphi methodology was used to prepare a clinical practice guideline. These searches identified 137 999 articles. All articles were assessed, and the existing 2017 guidelines were revised to incorporate new evidence. Sixteen recommendations derived from the systematic literature search, and four clinical guidances retained from previous ESAIC guidelines were formulated. Using the Delphi process on 253 sentences of guidance, strong consensus (>90% agreement) was achieved in 97% and consensus (75 to 90% agreement) in 3%. Peri-operative bleeding management encompasses the patient's journey from the pre-operative state through the postoperative period. Along this journey, many features of the patient's pre-operative coagulation status, underlying comorbidities, general health and the procedures that they are undergoing need to be taken into account. Due to the many important aspects in peri-operative nontrauma bleeding management, guidance as to how best approach and treat each individual patient are key. Understanding which therapeutic approaches are most valuable at each timepoint can only enhance patient care, ensuring the best outcomes by reducing blood loss and, therefore, overall morbidity and mortality. All healthcare professionals involved in the management of patients at risk for surgical bleeding should be aware of the current therapeutic options and approaches that are available to them. These guidelines aim to provide specific guidance for bleeding management in a variety of clinical situations.

Management of severe peri-operative bleeding

Management of severe peri-operative bleeding

Editorial introductions.

Current Opinion in Anesthesiology was launched in 1988. It is one of a successful series of review journals whose unique format is designed to provide a systematic and critical assessment of the literature as presented in the many primary journals. The field of anesthesiology is divided into 16 sections that are reviewed once a year. Each section is assigned a Section Editor, a leading authority in the area, who identifies the most important topics at that time. Here we are pleased to introduce the Journal's Section Editors for this issue. SECTION EDITORS Catherine M. KuzaCatherine M. KuzaDr Catherine M. Kuza, MD, FASA is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology in the Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Critical Care at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (KSOM USC), Los Angeles, USA. She completed her anesthesiology residency training at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine in Worcester, MA, USA and went on to complete a critical care fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, USA. She has been faculty at KSOM USC since 2016, where she served as the Director of Resident Research and Quality Improvement from 2017–2019, and in 2019 became the Director of Trauma Researcher. In 2021 she was appointed Associate Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. Her areas of research include trauma anesthesiology, emergency preparedness and mass casualties, burns, critical care delirium, and post-intensive care unit syndrome. She enjoys teaching and has served as a mentor in research, anesthesiology, and critical care to numerous medical students, residents, and fellows. She has published a number of journal articles and book chapters related to trauma, burns, critical care, and emergency preparedness. She is an active member of numerous professional societies including the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). While serving on the ASA Committee of Trauma and Emergency Preparedness, she has spearheaded several multicentre trauma studies. Edoardo De RobertisEdoardo De RobertisEdoardo De Robertis is Professor of Anaesthesiology at the University of Perugia, Italy, where he coordinates the Division of Anaesthesia, Analgesia, and Intensive Care. He is the Director of the clinical university department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care and director of the Residency Program and School in Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain. He is President of the European Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care (ESAIC) for the two years term 2022–23. Prof Edoardo De Robertis graduated with honour in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Napoli Federico II, Italy, where he completed his anaesthesiology residency. At the University of Lund, Sweden he received his PhD. Leader of a research group at the University Federico II, Italy, and more recently at the University of Perugia, Italy, Prof De Robertis has been involved in the planning, management and coordination of experimental studies in complex animal models and clinical studies on mechanical ventilation. An innovative system of ventilation aimed at the reduction of airway dead space (ASPIDS) was developed. Prof De Robertis has been actively involved in numerous collaboration and research projects with European partners and in the drafting of guidelines of the European Society of Anesthesiology (ESA/IC). He coordinated for Italy the ESA multicentric study PROVHILO and the ESICM consensus study WELPICUS. Prof De Robertis has focused his research activity on mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients and on the management of peri-operative massive bleeding, with particular attention to postpartum haemorrhage. He is also interested in the preoperative evaluation of the obstetric patient, and in the management of neuromuscular block in pelvic laparoscopic surgery.

An evaluation of von Willebrand factor (recombinant) therapy for adult patients living with severe type 3 von Willebrand disease

ABSTRACT Introduction Von Willebrand Factor (VWF) containing concentrates have been used for the treatment of von Willebrand Disease (VWD) for many years. Recently, however, a novel recombinant VWF (rVWF or vonicog alpha, VONVENDI [US], VEYVONDI [Europe]) has arrived to the market for the treatment of VWD. Initially, rVWF was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the on-demand treatment and control of bleeding episodes and for the perioperative management of bleeding for patients with VWD. More recently, however, the FDA has approved rVWF for routine prophylaxis to prevent bleeding episodes for those patients with severe type 3 VWD receiving on-demand therapy. Areas Covered This review will focus on recent phase III trial results from NCT02973087 regarding the use of long-term routine twice weekly prophylaxis with rVWF for the prevention of bleed events in patients with severe type 3 VWD. Expert Opinion A novel rVWF concentrate may have greater hemostatic potential over prior plasma-derived VWF concentrates and is now FDA approved for use in routine prophylaxis for patients with severe type 3 VWD in the United States. This greater hemostatic potential may be due to the presence of ultra-large VWF multimers and a more favorable high-molecular-weight multimer pattern compared to prior pdVWF concentrates.

EFFICACY, EFFECTIVENESS, AND SAFETY OF PLASMA-DERIVED BLOOD COAGULATION FACTOR X CONCENTRATE FOR THE TREATMENT OF HEREDITARY FACTOR X DEFICIENCY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Hereditary factor X deficiency (FXD) leads to bleeding episodes that vary in intensity depending on the level of factor X in the blood. A novel plasma-derived blood coagulation factor X concentrate (Coagadex ® ; pdFX) was developed for use in patients with this disease and it is available in Brazil. To analyze the efficacy, effectiveness, and safety of pdFX in patients with hereditary FXD. A systematic search (PROSPERO approval: CRD42022303062) was conducted in accordance with the Cochrane search methods, using the following electronic databases: Embase, MEDLINE via PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, as well as clinical trials databases such as ClinicalTrials.gov and the EU Clinical Trials Register , to identify studies that included patients of any age, both sexes, with any type of severity of FXD. Two reviewers independently screened references, selected the studies, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias using the ROBINS-I tool. This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline. A total of four studies involving 30 patients were included. Overall, the risk of bias was judged as serious. Across studies, pdFX was used to prevent bleeds (Ten01 and Ten02 studies), for perioperative bleeding management (Ten03), or for routine prophylaxis and on-demand treatment (Ten05). All studies included patients with severe or moderate severity. Only two participants with mild severity were included (Ten03). The efficacy of pdFX was rated “excellent”by the majority of investigators. No patients developed thrombotic events or factor X inhibitors, and no deaths or other serious adverse events were reported in any of the studies. The best available evidence was provided by three single-arm trials and one retrospective study with compassionate use, with an overall serious risk of bias. None of the included studies compared pdFX with the current treatment: prothrombin-complex concentrate or fresh-frozen plasma. No validated tool was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention regarding the bleeding episodes, instead, the investigators rated them subjectively. The included studies were performed in different populations, using pdFX for different purposes. Overall, the results of this systematic review reveals several weaknesses in the currently available evidence. This systematic review showed that the currently available data regarding pdFX for the treatment of hereditary FXD is very uncertain, mainly due to the lack of comparator arms and the overall serious risk of bias in the included studies. Therefore, we cannot draw any conclusions as to whether factor X concentrate is associated with a higher incidence of AEs or whether it can impact on the incidence and severity of bleeding events compared to other treatments.

A pilot study assessing the implementation of 96-well plate-based aggregometry (Optimul) in Australia

Identification of disordered platelet function is important to guide peri-operative bleeding management as well as long term treatment and prognostic strategies in individuals with platelet bleeding disorders. Light transmission aggregometry (LTA), the current gold standard diagnostic test of platelet function is a time consuming technique almost exclusively performed in specialised laboratories and almost universally unavailable in regional centres in Australia, where there is an unmet need for access to specialised platelet function diagnostic services. 96-well plate-based aggregometry (Optimul, UK), has been utilised in research laboratories as a novel platform to investigate platelet function. We evaluated the Optimul assay at two centres in Australia, one regional and one tertiary metropolitan, to assess its feasibility as a screening test applicable to remote regional centres. Concentration-response curves were established from 45 healthy volunteers at the participating regional hospital and from 31 healthy volunteers at the tertiary institution. Optimul successfully detected anti-platelet effects in individuals taking aspirin (n=4), NSAID (n=2), clopidogrel (n=2) and dual therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel (n=1). When tested in parallel to LTA in individuals referred for the evaluation of abnormal bleeding symptoms there was overall a very good level of agreement between Optimul and LTA [Cohen's kappa (k2)=0.84], supporting its role as a useful screening tool in the assessment of platelet function. Optimul assay performance was quick and the methodology simple, requiring no specialised training or resources to be implemented at either the regional or metropolitan laboratory. Widespread implementation, particularly in regional laboratories within Australia where specialised platelet function testing is unavailable, has the potential to drastically improve the inequity of access to such services.

Perioperative Medicine: Managing for Outcome, 2nd Edition

Perioperative Medicine: Managing for Outcome, 2nd Edition

The role of suction drainage in the management of peri-operative bleeding in Total and Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: a retrospective comparative study

BackgroundSuction drainage is commonly applied after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) to reduce hematoma, swelling and to favor surgical wound healing. However, its efficacy remains controversial; thus, the purpose of this study is to evaluate drainage efficiency in the management of postoperative bleeding in TKA and UKA.MethodsThe cohort comprised 134 clinical records of patients affected by knee osteoarthritis (OA) who underwent either TKA or UKA. All the patients were subdivided into 2 groups: the first one with drainage and the second one without drainage (respectively 61 and 73 patients). For each group, hemoglobin levels in the preoperative, first, second and third postoperative day were collected. Postoperative complications such as swelling, bleeding from the surgical wound or the need for blood transfusion, were also recorded.ResultsOur results did not show any significant difference of hemoglobin levels in the first (p = 0.715), second (p = 0.203) and third post-operative day (p = 0.467) between the two groups. Moreover, no significant correlation between knee swelling or transfusion rate and the drainage was observed (p = 0.703 and p = 0.662 respectively). Besides, a significant correlation was found between bleeding from the surgical wound and the absence of drainage (p = 0.006).ConclusionsThe study demonstrates how the routine use of suction drainage does not provide substantial benefits in the postoperative blood loss management after TKA or UKA.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04508101, 09/08/2020, Retrospectively registeredLevel of evidenceIII

The Efficacy and Safety of Tranexamic Acid in the Management of Perioperative Bleeding After Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Comparative Studies.

Introduction: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the current literature to assess the efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid (TXA) in the management of postoperative bleeding after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Methods: A systematic literature review was performed in March 2021. Two reviewers independently screened, identified, and evaluated comparative studies assessing the effectiveness of TXA in preventing bleeding after PCNL when compared with placebo or no intervention. The incidence of transfusion, complete stone clearance, and complications were extracted among TXA and control groups to generate the risk ratio (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Blood loss, hemoglobin (Hb) drop, length of hospital stays, and operative (OR) time were analyzed using standard mean difference (SMD) with corresponding 95% CI. Effect estimates were pooled using the inverse-variance approach with a random-effect model. Results: A total of 11 studies (8 randomized controlled trial, 1 prospective cohort, and 2 retrospective cohort studies; total 1842 patients) of low-to-moderate-quality were included in the meta-analysis. Overall pooled effect estimates demonstrated a decreased transfusion rate (RR 0.36; 95% CI 0.25 to 0.51), blood loss (SMD -0.74; 95% CI -1.14 to -0.34), and Hb drop (SMD -0.95; 95% CI -1.51 to -0.39) among patients in the TXA group when compared with those in the control. The number needed to treat was 11 to prevent one transfusion. Patients who received TXA also had improved stone clearance (RR 1.08; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.14), lower minor (RR 0.72; 95% CI 0.58 to 0.89) and major (RR 0.38; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.69) complications, shorter hospital stays (SMD -0.52; 95% CI -1.01 to -0.04) and decreased OR time (SMD -0.89; 95% CI -1.46 to -0.31). Conclusions: TXA can effectively reduce postoperative bleeding after PCNL. Future studies should identify a subset of patients who may benefit from preoperative TXA administration for PCNL.

Effect and safety of topical application of tranexamic acid to reduce perioperative blood loss in elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture undergoing PFNA.

The specific method and dose of tranexamic acid (TXA) topically applied for intertrochanteric fractures have not been well established. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of TXA topically administered via our protocol for perioperative bleeding management in elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures who underwent proximal femoral nail anti-rotation (PFNA).A retrospective comparative analysis was performed. The TXA group was composed of 82 patients with topical use of TXA, and the control group was composed of 82 patients without TXA use during the PFNA procedure. Intraoperative, total and hidden amounts of blood loss, drainage volumes, postoperative blood transfusion volumes and complications were compared between the 2 groups.The intraoperative, total and hidden amounts of blood loss and the drainage volumes were significantly lower in the TXA group than in the control group (P = .012, P < .01, P < .01, P = .014, respectively). The volume and rate of blood transfusion in the TXA group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < .01). There were no significant differences in complications between the 2 groups (P > .05).Topical application of TXA offers an effective and safe option for reducing perioperative blood loss and transfusion in elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures undergoing PFNA.