Local wound and systemic coagulation/fibrinolysis responses in hip arthroplasty - Influence of allogeneic and autologous blood transfusion

22 patients undergoing elective hip arthroplasty were studied. in 12 patients, a closed-loop autotransfusion system, without anticoagulant, was used and 10 had an ordinary wound drainage allowing repeated blood sampling from the wound. Plasma concentrations of antithrombin (AT), fibrin, soluble (SF) and fibrin D-dimer were determined preoperatively, 3, 8, and 24 hours after starting surgery. Wound drainage blood had increased concentrations of SF and fibrin D-dimer and decreased concentrations of AT compared to reference values and systemic concentrations in patients. Plasma concentrations of SF, fibrin D-dimer and AT did not differ between patients receiving retrieved blood and those receiving stored red blood cell concentrates (RBCs). Patients receiving blood transfusions had lower AT concentrations at 8 hours after starting surgery than those not receiving such a transfusion.