This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Skubas, N. J. Articles by Despotis, G. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Skubas, N. J. Articles by Despotis, G. J. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Optimal Management of Bleeding Complications After Cardiac Surgery

Departments of Anesthesiology, Pathology, and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

George J. Despotis, MD

Departments of Anesthesiology, Pathology, and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

Patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmo nary bypass (CPB) are at increased risk for excessive perioperative blood loss requiring transfusion of blood products. Point-of-care evaluation of platelets, coagu lation factors, and fibrinogen can enable physicians to assess bleeding abnormalities rapidly. They also can facilitate the optimal administration of pharmacologic and transfusion-based therapy and allow physicians to identify patients with surgical bleeding. The ability to reduce the unnecessary use of blood products in this setting has important implications for emerging issues in blood inventory and blood costs. The ability to de crease operative time along with re-exploration rates has important consequences for health care costs in an increasingly managed health care environment. Copyright© 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.

Seminars in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, Vol. 5, No. 3, 217-228 (2001)
DOI: 10.1053/scva.2001.26127


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?