Cardiovascular Journal of Africa: Vol 29 No 6 (November/December 2018)

CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 29, No 6, November/December 2018

AFRICA

385

impact of the different strategies on blood product use was not

assessed as it was beyond the scope of this study.

Only 2.9% of patients received aspirin in the current study,

and the bleeding risk was not assessed because there was no

point-of-care testing. Aspirin has been associated with increased

units of RPC transfused in adult cardiac surgery,

but it had no

effect on bleeding and transfusion in paediatric cardiac surgery.

The current study was retrospective and depended on the

availability of records and record-keeping by colleagues. The

study did not look at temperature, metabolic state of the patient,

or intra-operative bleeding, which may have contributed to

transfusion rates. The study also did not differentiate between

cyanotic and acyanotic cardiac lesions as data were not clear

on this. Further studies should be conducted to demonstrate

whether there is a relationship between our practice and

morbidity and mortality rates. Transfusion protocols together

with the utilisation of point-of-care testing should be considered.

Conclusion

The use of RPC units was different between RACHS categories,

while maintaining similar haemoglobin levels, despite the absence

of set transfusion triggers and miniature circuits. The pattern of

haemoglobin maintenance was similar to another study. The

transfusion of other blood products was empirical as no point-

of-care tests were utilised. The use of triggers, algorithms and

point-of-care testing in paediatric cardiac patients may result in

a decreased level of transfusion of blood products.

We thank Helen Perrie and Juan Scribante, and Dr K Vanderdonck for assist-

ing with the research.

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