As cardiovascular surgery has become more and more common in recent years, the need for blood transfusion in cardiovascular patients has also increased. To make sound decisions regarding hemotherapy for these patients, the hemotherapist should be aware of the following: (1) indications for blood and blood component therapy; (2) appropriate blood use, including the need for blood conservation; (3) expected changes in hematologic and coagulation values during and after cardiopulmonary bypass; (4) the degrees of crossmatching available; and (5) various special problems related to cardiovascular patients. This article discusses these matters in light of the authors' experience at a large cardiovascular surgical center.
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Slonaker et al. (1983) studied this question.