Cell Savers and Blood Quality

Summary

Cell savers are routinely used in our hospital during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting to retrieve and wash blood that is lost during the operation. This washed blood is retransfused to the patient in order to prevent allogeneic blood transfusion. However, little is known about the rheologic properties and oxygen transport capacity of the washed red blood cells and the effects of retransfusion of this blood on microcirculatory blood flow and organ damage in the patient. For cell savers 3 different operating principles exist. The most common one uses discontinuous blood washing with a spinning bowl that is intermittently filled with blood, processed and emptied. A second one uses a continuous blood washing principle with a rotational disk. A third one is intermediate using features of both the discontinuous bowl technology and the continuous rotational disc technology.

The investigator hypothesize that the operating principle has effects on the rheologic properties and oxygen transport capacity of the washed blood.

Previous research suggested that in particular the deformability and oxygen carrier properties of the red blood cells are affected. As a consequence, red blood cells may block small blood vessels, which affects microcirculatory blood flow and tissue oxygenation. This may lead to organ damage.

Conditions

• Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump

Interventions

DEVICE

Xtra®, Sorin cellsaver

when at least 750 mL of wound blood is collected in the reservoir during the operation, the washing process will be started using one of the three cell savers (see above). Samples will be taken from before and after the washing process. Thereafter, the blood will be retransfused to the patient.

DEVICE

C.A.T.S.®, Fresenius cellsaver

when at least 750 mL of wound blood is collected in the reservoir during the operation, the washing process will be started using one of the three cell savers (see above). Samples will be taken from before and after the washing process. Thereafter, the blood will be retransfused to the patient.

DEVICE

CardioPAT®, Haemonetics, cellsaver

when at least 750 mL of wound blood is collected in the reservoir during the operation, the washing process will be started using one of the three cell savers (see above). Samples will be taken from before and after the washing process. Thereafter, the blood will be retransfused to the patient.

OTHER

no use of cell saver

When less than 750 ml of wound blood is collected in the reservoir at the end of the operation, patients will be automatically allocated to the control group. The collected blood will be cast away according to daily clinical practice and recommendations of the manufacturers.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Medical Center Groningen

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-01-31

Primary Completion

2015-12-31

Completion

2015-12-31

Countries

• Netherlands

Study Locations