Underused blood conservation technique can reduce odds of needing transfusion during heart surgery by 27%

A study reports that acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH)—a blood-saving method in which a patient's blood is collected before going on heart-lung bypass and reinfused near the end of cardiac surgery—remains underused in the United States at 14.7%. Yet the study found that ANH lowered the likelihood of a transfusion by 27%, a decrease in blood use that could cut costs substantially while still protecting patient safety and outcomes. Global demand for cardiac surgery is increasing, with more than 1 million procedures performed annually worldwide. In high-income countries like the United States, cardiac surgery remains the largest consumer of blood products,...