An audit of blood transfusion in elective neuro-surgery

Abstract

Neurosurgery is generally believed to be associated with major blood loss and large volumes transfusion of blood and blood product. Recent advances in neurosurgical techniques and concepts relating to blood transfusions have helped to decrease the need for intraoperative transfusions. In the present audit conducted in an advanced tertiary neurological centre performing the entire range of neurosurgery, 31% of patients undergoing surgery required blood product transfusion. Surgery on inracranial tumors was associated with a significantly higher blood loss (P< 0.006) and transfusion than surgery on other lesions. Spinal surgery re-quired the lowest rates of transfusion. Among the intracranial tumors, meningiomas required the highest vol-umes of transfusion (P< 0.001). Rates of blood transfusion in paediatric patients were the same as those for the entire group. In children less than 15 years, surgery for intracranial tumors and craniosynostosis were the main procedures requiring blood transfusion, while no blood transfusion was required for surgical procedures for hydrocephalus and spinal myelomeningoceles. Single unit transfusions, which accounted for 34% of all blood products transfused, were more frequent in paediatric patients (22 out of 45 in children ≤15 years) and intrac-ranial tumors(24 out of 45).

Keywords

• Audit; Blood transfussion; Elective Neurosurgery.