Real-Time Blood Monitoring May Lessen the Need for Transfusion During Surgery
A recently developed non-invasive device is being tested in clinical trials to test its possible application in surgery to determine whether or not a blood transfusion is necessary based on levels of hemoglobin.
The device, which can be simplistically described as a light sensor, attaches to the patient with a small sticker and uses various wavelengths of infrared light to monitor the level of hemoglobin. The concept that blood's light absorption depends on the relative concentrations of its components drives the design; several different wavelengths are used to determine the overall hemoglobin concentration.
Vanderbilt University's Medical Center has tested the device in orthopedic surgeries and found that only 0.6% of surgeries using the device required a transfusion, compared to the typical rate of approximately 4.5%. Given that the test only had a control group of about 160 and an experimental group of 160, the findings may not fully reflect the extent of the device's usefulness. However, in comparison to a previous group of patients receiving blood under standard protocol, the rate needing transfusion was almost equivalent at 4.6%, raising hopes that the device is effective.
Other potential flaws in the study have included the fact that the study was not blind, that post-operative transfusions were not included in the statistics, and that standard transfusion rates may vary widely in different operating rooms. Studies with a wider scope and focus on cost-benefit are needed before its widespread adoption, which may then only be appropriate in surgeries in which transfusion is likely (e.g., bypass surgery).
As evidenced on campus today, the American Red Cross continually campaigns for blood donors, but this device could potentially mean that fewer transfusions are needed during surgeries in the future. This article interested me because of the novel approach to the limited blood supply problem, despite almost constant need. It is especially important in light of the lack of significant breakthroughs with synthetic blood products. Additionally, it relates to some of the concepts incorporated in our Device Design, which will remain undisclosed for the remaining two weeks....
Source: Harmon, Katherine: "New Real-Time Blood Monitoring May Lessen the Need for Transfusions During Surgery"
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=real-time-blood-monitoring&page=2
Accessed: November 17, 2010
The device, which can be simplistically described as a light sensor, attaches to the patient with a small sticker and uses various wavelengths of infrared light to monitor the level of hemoglobin. The concept that blood's light absorption depends on the relative concentrations of its components drives the design; several different wavelengths are used to determine the overall hemoglobin concentration.
Vanderbilt University's Medical Center has tested the device in orthopedic surgeries and found that only 0.6% of surgeries using the device required a transfusion, compared to the typical rate of approximately 4.5%. Given that the test only had a control group of about 160 and an experimental group of 160, the findings may not fully reflect the extent of the device's usefulness. However, in comparison to a previous group of patients receiving blood under standard protocol, the rate needing transfusion was almost equivalent at 4.6%, raising hopes that the device is effective.
Other potential flaws in the study have included the fact that the study was not blind, that post-operative transfusions were not included in the statistics, and that standard transfusion rates may vary widely in different operating rooms. Studies with a wider scope and focus on cost-benefit are needed before its widespread adoption, which may then only be appropriate in surgeries in which transfusion is likely (e.g., bypass surgery).
As evidenced on campus today, the American Red Cross continually campaigns for blood donors, but this device could potentially mean that fewer transfusions are needed during surgeries in the future. This article interested me because of the novel approach to the limited blood supply problem, despite almost constant need. It is especially important in light of the lack of significant breakthroughs with synthetic blood products. Additionally, it relates to some of the concepts incorporated in our Device Design, which will remain undisclosed for the remaining two weeks....
Source: Harmon, Katherine: "New Real-Time Blood Monitoring May Lessen the Need for Transfusions During Surgery"
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=real-time-blood-monitoring&page=2
Accessed: November 17, 2010
Labels: blood, surgery, technology
posted by Nicole Cordner at 12:40 PM
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