AUTOTRANSFUSION IN SMALL ANIMALS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Transfusion therapy aims to administer missing blood components and, consequently, increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of the systemic circulation. Blood transfusion can be performed in a conventional allogeneic or autogenic, when the patient's own blood is reintroduced into the circulation by the intravenous rote. Autotransfusion is commonly indicated for patients who are experiencing severe hemorrhage or internal bleeding and/or need to undergo emergency surgical procedure. In veterinary patients, blood leaking into the thoracic or abdominal cavities has been attributed to vascular injuries caused by trauma, organ torsion, ruptured neoplasm or coagulopathies. This review gathers information about autotransfusion in small animals, listing the main indications and the different techniques described for its utilizationAutologous transfusion is divided into two categories: emergency autotransfusion, when the blood lost into a cavities is collected, filtered and reinfused, and pre-deposit autotransfusion, which consists of the preoperative donation of the patient's own blood, is collected and saved for a period of time before the surgery and is reinfused during the surgical procedure or, preoperative hemodilution, which involves autologous donation immediately before anesthetic induction, followed by infusion of crystalloid fluid to maintain blood volume and blood is transfused back to the patient when transfusion indications arise or before the end of the procedure. For the collection of cavity blood, the techniques of direct aspiration and surgical aspiration can be utilized. This work's authors used direct aspiration with the aid of a large-caliber syringe and a transfusion bag. Autotransfusion main advantage is the ready use of blood without need for compatibility tests, therefore, during transfusion the blood can be administered in bolus, without any risks to the patient, making  transfusion  faster and more effective. Based on the scientific literature about autotransfusion, it is a safe, effective and economically viable alternative to be performed in the clinical routine of small animals. According to the authors' experience, it is a simple technique to be performed and this report is an important contribution to the information available in the scientific literature.