AUTOLOGOUS BLOOD DONATION ELECTIVE SURGERY IN CHILDREN

Studies were made on 59 children (cardiac 42, orthopaedic 13, miscella neous 4) scheduled for autologous blood donation before elective surge ry. The donor-patients' ages ranged from 3 to 15 years (mean 9.9 years ) and their weights from 13 to 70 kg (mean 34 kg). All patients receiv ed 50-100 mg of oral iron sulphate per day. As a rule, about 10% of in travascular blood volume was drawn once a week. Before surgery, an ave rage of 720 ml of autologous blood per patient was prepared. Two patie nts failed to donate autologous blood because of anxiety about the pro cedure; however, none of the donors was deferred due anaemia assoicate d with the phlebotomy. Of the 53 patients undergoing surgery and parti cipating in autologous predonation, 50 (94%) were able to avoid homolo gous blood transfusion. 600 ml of homologous blood were transfused to each of 2 orthopaedic patients and 400 ml to 1 cardiac patient. We con clude that a predeposit autologous transfusion programme is logistical ly possible in small children when the patients are cooperative.