Abstract
Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the number of homologous blood transfusions received by canine surgical patients after introducing a cell salvage device, trends in surgeries requiring blood transfusion and incidence of transfusion reactions.
Study Design: Retrospective study.
Setting: Single referral hospital
Animals: All dogs undergoing surgery in a single center (November 2015 – February 2021).
Interventions: Medical records of dogs undergoing surgical treatment, and those which received a blood transfusion, either autologous or homologous were reviewed. The surgical patients were the baseline population and the two transfusion groups were compared within this population to analyze the trends.
Main results: A total of 37 and 86 dogs received autologous and homologous blood transfusions, respectively. There was an upward trend in the number of total monthly blood transfusions. No significant increase in the monthly number of homologous transfusions was observed prior to or after acquisition of the cell salvage device. There was an upward trend in total monthly surgeries, including those with higher risks of hemorrhage. Dogs receiving homologous blood transfusions had a higher incidence of clinical signs consistent with transfusion reactions (6.98%).
Conclusion: The introduction of a cell salvage device demonstrated an upward trend in autologous blood transfusions. The use of a cell salvage device in hospitals with large surgical caseloads with high risk of hemorrhage may decrease the need for outsourced blood products. Use of a cell salvage device can result in a more responsible use of an increasingly scarce resource as well as decreasing the risk of a blood transfusion reaction in dogs.