A. Iorwerth, C. Wilson, N-Topley, I Pallister
University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK
The Knee 10 (2003) 111-113
Aim: To test if the incidence of post-operative infections is reduced when filtered autologous blood is re-infused, and if this reduction is related to an upregulation of the activity of PMN.
Method: Samples of venous citrate blood from an autologous transfusion group (Bellovac ABT) and from a conventional treatment group were compared.
Results: The infection rate was lower and there was a significant increase in PMN activity in the autologous transfusion group.
Conclusion: The study indicates that the use of filtered blood alters the activity of PMN and supports the hypothesis that autologous transfusion of unwashed blood reduces post-arthroplasty infections.