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For the Public 1. What is an autologous transfusion? Autologous transfusions are those in which patients receive their own blood. Several types of autologous donation-transfusion exist:
Predeposit donation in which patients with a high likelihood of requiring transfusion donate their own blood for later transfusion during surgery
Perioperative normovolemic hemodilution (withdrawal of blood immediately before surgery, with volume replacement by crystalloid solutions and subsequent re-infusion of removed blood).
Also see
Intraoperative blood salvage
Postoperative blood salvage 2. How does autologous blood salvage work during surgery? Blood salvage is used in surgeries for patients without cancer in which a large amount of blood loss is anticipated. The patient's own blood is collected, the blood may be washed or manipulated according to the particular procedure used, and returned to the patient. The Hemobag® is a type of autologous blood salvage that has the advantage of returning concentrated whole blood with platelets, clotting factors and plasma proteins still present.
3. If I require blood, what
options do I have?
For information about options for patients
requiring blood, see
For Professionals 1. When will The Hemobag and its Tubing Set be available for clinical use? The Hemobag® and TS3 Tubing Set have been cleared by the FDA for Clinical Use and are now available to purchase. To find out more about this Breakthrough Device that will change the way that Blood is Salvaged in Surgery, click on
How to Purchase or
Contact Us. 2.
Can The Hemobag be used to salvage blood in areas other than cardiovascular or thoracic surgery? The Hemobag® is capable of salvaging blood from any anticoagulated extracorporeal circuit in any area. As long as there is anticoagulated blood in a circuit circulated or collected and held outside the body for return to the patient,
The Hemobag® will have an application for this blood. 3.
Can this be used with Jehovah Witness patients? Yes. Before filling
The
Hemobag® in the field,
a pressure tubing line can be filled to the inlet port and
the patient by Anesthesia with a 3-way stopcock.
4.
Why should I salvage the circuit this way instead of using a
"cell
washer"? The Hemobag® technology comes at a time when professionals everywhere are reevaluating their views on blood management and transfusing patients and the consequences of doing so. If done correctly this technique recovers essentially all the patients blood in the circuit. Using this technique saves whole blood not just red cells, and it takes less time to hemoconcentrate the same amount of blood that a cell
washer could. 5.
What volume can the Hemobag can hold? The Hemobag®
can hold a maximum of 2.0 L. 6.
Can I draw samples from The Hemobag? Yes - The Hemobag® has a
needl eless sampling port for easy sampling at any time. 7.
What is the length of time it takes from start to finish
? There are many variables such as hematocrit, flow rate, suction, siphon and type of hemoconcentrator used. It is important not to exceed the guidelines for the given hemoconcentrator used, but generally it takes
about 10 minutes to do the whole process from start to finish. 8.
Is it difficult to reclaim the blood from the tubing set and hemoconcentrator ? No, the process is easy:
- Stop the pump and clamp the outlet port
- Start the pump again and allow crystalloid or air to chase the blood through the needless sample port of the circuit back to The Hemobag®
- Stop the pump just before the air or
clear fluid enters The Hemobag®
- Disconnect, label and hand it to Anesthesia for gravity infusion
9.
Can Anesthesia pressurize The Hemobag® for delivery No, it should not be pressurized, and as with all fluids for
infusion,
The Hemobag®
must be completely de-aired and bubble-free before being hung for gravity drainage by the large bore
infusion port. 10.
Is it difficult to connect up and disconnect the hemoconcentrator to The
Hemobag®? No. The Tubing Set for The Hemobag®
works with any Hemoconcentrator and allows you to hemoconcentrate both during the case and after the case with The Hemobag®
by way of its quick male and female snap connectors. 11.
Is it necessary to preprime the hemoconcentrator before using The
Hemobag®? Yes, It is important to have the tubing set and hemoconcentrator primed and
bubble-free prior to connecting The Hemobag® to reduce the blood to gas interface that stimulates the defenses of blood and creates micro air. 12.
After hemoconcentrating, doesn’t the blood in The Hemobag® still have heparin in it that will be transfused to the patient? Yes, the blood must be anticoagulated in order to process it through the hemoconcentrator and The Hemobag®. You will need to assess the need for additional protamine as per your hospital's protocol for the patient and give it separately
to the patient after Hemobag® infusion. A Hepcon-type device would be useful in this situation. (Typical doses are between
10-50 mg.) 13. Don’t you end up with a circuit full of tainted crystalloid, and what do you do with that? After filling
The Hemobag®
with the circuit's blood by crystalloid that has been chased through the circuit, the arterial and venous lines can be reconnected and recirculated like prebypass. Until the circuit is normally approved to be discontinued, you will now have time for other tasks such as hemoconcentrating The Hemobag®,
which should only take about 10 minutes. You can then wait until the chest is closed and suck the circuit contents to a waste bucket or a cell
washer, if you are using one. 14. What pump do you use with The
Hemobag®? During the case the hemoconcentrator is used conventionally. After bypass any ¼ inch pump head not in use at the time can be used (e.g., sucker, vent, spare, empty).
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