Perioperative normovolaemic haemodilution in major elective orthopaedic surgery Lusaka

Perioperative Normovolaemic Haemodilution was done on twenty three patients who had major elective orthopaedic surgery both at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka and the Zambian - Italian Orthopaedic Hospital, Lusaka between July, 1997 and June, 1999.

There were twelve males and eleven females with ages ranging from 13 to 78 years (mean 42.1 years). The preoperative haemoglobin of these patients ranged from 9.2g/dl to 16.8g/dl (mean 12.9g/dl). The postoperative haemoglobin measured at 72 hours ranged from 7.0g/dl to 13.1g/dl (mean 10.6g/dl); while the postoperative haemoglobin for those patients that stayed up to two weeks ranged from 7.4g/dl to 14.0g/dl (mean 10.6g/dl). The drop in haemoglobin at 72 hours postoperatively ranged from 0.3g/dl to 5.8g/dl (mean 3.7g/dl).

Hip surgery was the commonest operation performed. There was one mortality (4.4%); all the other patients had uneventful recovery. None of the patients had homologous blood transfusion and no operation was cancelled due to failure of technique.