The Use of Autologous Blood Products in Peace, in War and in Emergency Situations

Introduction In industrialized countries, autologous transfusion (AT) of blood and/or autologous blood products is often used. Objective To perform an analysis on the possibilities of using autologous blood products (ABP) in peace and in war. Methods In peacetime conditions, all AT strategies can be performed: 1) planned preoperative autologous blood and/or blood components collection (PPAB-BCC); 2) acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH); 3) intraoperative blood salvage of autologous blood; 4) postoperative blood salvage; 5) administration of autologous platelets; 6) the use of autologous fibrin glue and autologous tissue adhesives; 7) the collection and storage of autologous erythrocytes and autologous fresh plasma. In emergency situations and war, the most applicable strategies are: a) ANH; b) intraoperative blood salvage; c) postoperative blood salvage; d) application of autologous fibrin glue and autologous tissue adhesives. Results In peace. PPAB-BCC was used for 314 patients, who were planned for elective surgery. AB was collected using intraoperative blood salvage in the amount of 520 ml for 281 patients. ANH was performed for 30 patients. For 20 of those, 780ml of blood was collected and they were operated on for colon cancer with rectum amputation and one nephrectomy was performed on a patient with single kidney neoplasm. ANH was performed on 9 orthopedic patients. Intraoperative autologous blood salvage in peaceful conditions was performed for 52 adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery procedures. The amount of autologous blood collected and reinfused ranged from 1,500 to 3,500 ml per patient. With the help of a Cell-Saver, autologous blood salvage was performed on 63 patients during pediatric heart surgery. The amount of intraoperative salvaged autologous blood per operation ranged from 210 ml to 620 ml. During the 1990s, doctors at the Military Medical Academy (MMA) used plateletrich autologous plasma on 38 patients who had diseased blood vessels replaced with dacron grafts. In war. During the civil war on the territory of former Yugoslavia, intraoperative salvage of autologous blood was performed on 25 wounded patients who suffered from closed pneumothorax due to blast injury, in which cased 500 ml to 1500 ml of autologous blood was collected. With the help of the 'Pleur-Evac autotransfusion system', immediately after collection, reinfused to the wounded patient during the helicopter transport to the MMA. Autologous fibrin glue was used to treat 10 wounded patients during reconstructive surgery procedures. Conclusion In peacetime conditions, the AT program should be organized in every hospital that has adequate conditions for its implementation. The implementation of AT is very important because it can serve as an alternative to homologous transfusion. Our experiences from the war on the territory of the former Yugoslavia tell us that certain strategies of the AT program can successfully be implemented even in emergency situations and during war.