Blood Salvage
Definition
Blood salvage is the recovery of a patient's own blood from the surgical site to be readministered to the patient.
Purpose
Pre-operative blood salvage can be performed prior to the surgical incision during the induction of anesthesia. This blood is collected to be administered post-operatively, because the clotting factors and platelets are protected from activation and destruction caused by the surgery. This procedure is most often used if cardiopulmonary bypass (use of a heart-lung machine) will be instituted. If the blood is not given to the patient, it will be discarded. Pre-operative blood donation or autologous blood donation is a coordinated donation process planned prior to a scheduled...
[The entire page is 1290 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
