Intra-operative red cell salvage and postoperative acidosis

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    The contribution of intraoperative mechanical red cell salvage to acidosis in the immediate postoperative period after cardiac surgery

  • IRAS ID

    206063

  • Contact name

    R Peter Alston

  • Contact email

    peter.alston@ed.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Edinburgh

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 0 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    Excess acid in the blood is a frequent complication in the early period after heart surgery. Recent research suggests that the excess acid in the blood may be due to salt containing fluids used to fill the heart lung machine and replace blood loss. Previous studies have found a strong relationship between the rapid infusion of salt solution and the development of excess acid in the blood and the source of the acid has been traced to the relatively high amounts of chlorine in the salt solution. \n\nMechanical collection and re-transfusion of red blood cells is routinely used in heart surgery to reduce the amount of donor blood that is required to be transfused. However, the salvaged red blood cells are suspended in a large amount of salt containing solution that is known to cause excess acid in the blood. We believe that patients receiving larger volumes of mechanically collected red blood cells during their surgery will have higher levels of acid in their blood after heart surgery. In order to test this using routinely collected information, the amount of mechanically collected red blood during surgery will be related to the increase in acidity of the blood from before surgery until arrival in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

  • REC name

    North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    16/NW/0509

  • Date of REC Opinion

    23 Jun 2016

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion