PREOPERATIVE USE OF ERYTHROPOIETIN FOR CARDIOVASCULAR OPERATIONS IN ANEMIA

Erythropoietin was used in 10 patients undergoing elective cardiovascu lar operations who were compromised with anemia. Initially, their bloo d hemoglobin levels were less than 10 g/dL (range, 7.5 to 9.9 g/dL). E rythropoietin (600 to 700 units/kg per week) was administered intraven ously or subcutaneously for about 2 to 12 weeks. Blood hemoglobin leve ls increased in each patient (11.0 to 14.5 g/dL) until the day of oper ation, and during this course autologous blood donations (400 to 1,200 mL) were obtained from 8 patients. As a result, homologous blood tran sfusions were needed in only 1 patient in whom erythropoietin treatmen t was interrupted for other reasons. All these patients were discharge d without event, and no adverse effects due to erythropoietin were fou nd. Although the causes of anemia were not specified in some of these patients, it was noteworthy that erythropoietin was effective even in a patient with hypoplastic bone marrow. Subcutaneous use was assumed t o be especially favorable in managing anemic patients, in whom preoper ative erythropoietin treatment could be continued for up to 82 days. W e conclude that erythropoietin would be beneficial for the anemic popu lation to secure homologous-blood-free operations.