NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUGS, PERIOPERATIVE BLOOD-LOSS, AND TRANSFUSION REQUIREMENTS IN ELECTIVE HIP-ARTHROPLASTY

A study of 160 elective total hip arthroplasties revealed that those p atients receiving nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the preoperative period had a significantly increased perioperative blood loss and transfusion requirement when compared with a control group re ceiving other forms of analgesia for their osteoarthritis. The results suggest that NSAIDs are implicated in increasing the operative blood loss in these patients. The range of increased blood loss varied from 1.57 to 2.08 times the blood loss in the control group, and this effec t was seen when the operation was carried out under spinal as well as when under general anesthesia.