Evaluation of blood products utilization in abdominal aortic aneurysm repair patients’ elective surgery in ShohadaTajrish Hospital

Aortic aneurysm repair surgery (AAAs) is associated with massive bleeding that causes coagulation disorders during and after surgery. Considering that blood consumption in these patients has been studied in a few articles, we decided to investigate more.

In a cross-sectional study, patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms requiring surgical repair from January 2018 to August 2020 were evaluated at Shohada-e-Tajrish Hospital. The blood component utilization was evaluated. Graph Pad prism 9.0.0 (121) software was used for statistical analysis (p < 0.05 was considered significant).

Of 20 patients with aortic aneurysm repair, 16 (80%) were male and 4 (20%) were female. Seven cases (35%) of them received Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) in addition to packed red blood cells (PRBCs). The mean of FFP utilization was 3.7 ± 1.5 units and in 13 patients (65%) only PRBcs were transfused. Platelets was not transfused in any of the patients. The relationship between red blood cells transfusion with the hemoglobin level before surgery and patient age was evaluated. Also, the relationship between INR before surgery and FFP transfusion was assessed, none of which was statistically significant.

Despite extensive aortic artery surgery and massive bleeding, in 65% of patients only packed red blood cells were transfused. In 35% of patients, in addition to PRBC, FFP was transfused, but no platelets was administered.