For what its Worth...........
Methodist Hospital Opens Bloodless Medicine Center
Advanced, Transfusion-Free Alternatives Allow Patients to Avoid Blood Transfusions During Hospital Stays
ARCADIA, Calif., July 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Methodist Hospital of Southern California has implemented a new program to conserve blood and avoid the use of transfusions whenever possible. "In essence, we have created a center for blood conservation and transfusion alternatives," says Alexander Perez, manager of the Bloodless Medicine Center.
Today, an increasing number of people seek alternatives to the use of blood products. Some individuals are concerned with the safety of the nation's blood supply, while others are precluded from blood transfusions because of ethical or religious convictions. "Whatever the reason, Methodist Hospital supports our patients' choice and right to receive medical and surgical services without the administration of blood or blood products," says Perez. "We've identified a growing panel of physicians who are dedicated to upholding patients' wishes and are experienced in providing a variety of treatments that avoid transfusions."
Bloodless medicine is a state-of-the-art approach to medical and surgical care designed to promote blood conservation and, when necessary, avoid blood transfusions. This is possible through the use of pharmaceuticals to increase red cell production, increase blood volume, reduce bleeding and enhance blood clotting. Surgical devices and sophisticated equipment (for example, lasers, argon beam coagulators, electrocautery) help stem off bleeding during surgical procedures. Specialized equipment like the Cell Saver salvages lost blood, cleans it, oxygenates it and re-administers it back to the patient in a closed circuit. Anesthetic techniques (e.g., hypotensive anesthesia and acute normovolemic hemodilution) are used to reduce blood loss during surgery.
"There are many techniques and methods that can be employed to conserve blood and avoid transfusions," explains Perez. "The key is a team approach to conserve blood and to have the patient serve as his own blood bank."
Services offered by the Methodist Bloodless Medicine Center cover medical and surgical care over a wide variety of disciplines, including cardiothoracic surgery, gastroenterology, oncology, and orthopedics, among others.
"Bloodless medicine can be viewed as the revolution of today and may well be the standard of care of tomorrow," says Dr. Hani Sami, medical director of the Bloodless Medicine Center. "By avoiding transfusions, you are not introducing an immune suppressor into the patient's body. The result is shorter lengths-of-stay in both intensive care immediately following surgery and in less acute settings."
Methodist Hospital, founded in 1903, is a 450-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving the central San Gabriel Valley. Services provided include comprehensive acute care such as medical, surgical, perinatal, pediatrics, oncology, intensive care (neonatal and adult), and complete cardiovascular services, including open-heart surgery. Methodist Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
# # # Case History: Bloodless Option Keeps Newborn Alive and Healthy Methodist Hospital's Bloodless Medicine Program Offers Advanced Transfusion-Free Option
Arcadia, CA -- July 30, 2002 -- Pregnancy and the anticipation of parenthood with the expectation of delivering a healthy baby are usually some of life's most joyful moments.
However, if a pregnancy takes a turn for the worse, the feeling of nervous anticipation can be absolutely mind-boggling. That's what happened to Graciela and Rigoberto Medina when they were expecting baby Aldo.
Graciela had experienced a normal pregnancy until her 28th week when she developed high blood pressure, also called pregnancy induced hypertension, a condition that could not only threaten the baby's life, but Graciela's as well.
At that point she was admitted to Arcadia's Methodist Hospital to alleviate the situation. A fetal monitor showed that the baby was in distress and needed to be delivered immediately. Graciela and Rigoberto knew that a full-term pregnancy was 40 weeks and that their baby would be born 12 weeks early, however they had no other choice. When baby Aldo was delivered, he weighed just over two pounds.
Aldo was immediately cared for in Methodist's Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit and was found to have Anemia of Prematurity, a drop in his hemoglobin and hematocrit counts. Administering a blood transfusion usually is standard for treating this condition, however, because the Medinas are Jehovah's Witnesses, they expressed a firm desire not to have the child transfused, due to their religious beliefs.
Both Federal and California State laws impose certain limitations on a physician's ability to withhold blood transfusions for children when there are no alternatives. However, because Methodist Hospital has a dedicated Bloodless Medicine Center with experienced physicians, this potentially complicated situation wasn't a problem.
Bloodless medicine is a state-of-the-art approach to medical and surgical care designed to promote blood conservation and, when necessary, avoid blood transfusions. This is possible through the use of pharmaceuticals to increase red cell production, increase blood volume, reduce bleeding and enhance blood clotting.
In baby Aldo's case, his physicians, Neonatalogists Dr. Ernesto S. Gangitano and Dr. John Vogt, and the Neo-Natal Intensive Care team worked diligently with alternatives to avoid a blood transfusion by stimulating his red cell production. They used iron and erythropoietin to help Aldo's body create its own blood supply. In addition, further conservation techniques included limiting the amount of blood draws and implementing the use of micro sampling for any blood tests.
"There are risks with using blood," says Dr. Gangitano, "and we try to avoid transfusing our little patients whenever possible. In Aldo's case we knew we needed to conserve every drop of blood. One of the ways we did this is by delaying the clamping of the umbilical cord. This allows the baby to receive his own blood without losing it to the placenta."
Baby Aldo responded well to these techniques and today he is a thriving five month-old who is discovering and enjoying all the wonders of the world. His parents are thrilled that experienced physicians at Methodist Hospital's Bloodless Medicine Center were there to help when they needed it most.
Methodist Hospital, founded in 1903, is a 450-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving the central San Gabriel Valley. Services provided include comprehensive acute care such as medical, surgical, perinatal, pediatrics, oncology, intensive care (neonatal and adult), and complete cardiovascular services, including open-heart surgery. Methodist Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
SOURCE: Methodist Hospital of Southern California