Original Research
Impact of Erythropoietin on Allogenic Blood Exposure in Orthopedic Surgery
Am J Orthop. 2007 November;36(11):600-604
Author and Disclosure Information
Jennifer E. Santoro, PharmD, Robert K. Eastlack, MD, James M. Mirocha, PhD, and William D. Bugbee, MD
Dr. Santoro is Clinical Pharmacy Manager, Pharmacy Management Department, CalOptima, Orange, California.
Dr. Mirocha is Statistician, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
Dr. Eastlack is Clinical Instructor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, San Diego, California.
Dr. Bugbee is Attending Physician, Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, California, and Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, San Diego, California.
Joint reconstruction surgery is associated with significant blood loss, and patients often require perioperative transfusions. Recombinant human erythropoietin (epoetin) can be used in anemic patients scheduled for elective, noncardiac, nonvascular surgery to reduce the need for transfusions. In the study reported here, patients with a preoperative hemoglobin level of 10 to 13 g/dL were treated with epoetin. Our analysis showed that transfusions were given to 3 (8%) of the 38 patients who received epoetin before surgery and 20 (57%) of the 35 historical controls (P<.001) and that length of hospital stay did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. Our results provide further support for use of epoetin as an effective strategy for reducing exposure to allogenic blood in orthopedic surgery.