Review of transfusion practice in orthopaedic surgery

Donated blood is a limited resource. The impact of variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease is a potential threat to the blood supply. As 10% of the red cells issued to hospitals are used in orthopaedic surgery, elective orthopaedic surgery may well suffer disruption if the supply of red cells is compromised in the future. A survey of transfusion practice confirmed wide variation in practice in elective joint replacement survey. It is, therefore, essential that orthopaedic surgeons and transfusion specialists collaborate to ensure that blood is used appropriately. Current measures to conserve allogeneic blood in elective joint replacement surgery will be reviewed. The extent to which these strategies are used in hospitals and their efficacy will be discussed.