The Association of Blood Transfusion with the Development of Post-operative Complications in Patients after Cardiac Surgery
The aim of this study was to analyse the association between blood transfusions and the development of post-operative complications in patients after cardiac surgery.
Methods. Retrospective data analysis was conducted with purposive sample selection employed. The target group included patients who underwent planned or urgent cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) at the university hospital during 2018–2019. The sample size was calculated by applying 95% of probability and 0.5 error. The retrospective analysis of 282 patients’ files was performed during the period from June to October, 2019.
Results. A strong positive correlation between blood transfusion and post-operative complications was determined in patients after cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. A significantly higher number of patients after blood transfusions experienced delirium (P < 0.001), anemia (P < 0.001), pneumonia (P < 0.001), renal function failure (P < 0.001), sepsis (P < 0.001), atrial fibrillation (P = 0.002) and death (P = 0.031).
Conclusions. Blood transfusion can save lives, but there is a strong positive correlation between blood transfusions and post-operative complications. Blood transfusion can result in some serious complications after cardiac surgery, such as delirium, anaemia, pneumonia, renal failure, sepsis, atrial fibrillation and death.
Nurses play an important role in this life-saving process. It is the nurses’ task to perform blood transfusion to a patient when it is needed. At the same time, nurses may be the first ones to identify active or suspected bleeding to prevent massive blood transfusion requirement.
Correspondence to . Faculty of Nursing, Academy of Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickevičiaus 9, Kaunas, LT-44307, Lithuania. ausra.brivinskaite@gmail.com