Acute
Normovolemic
Hemodilution |
Acute normovolemic
hemodilution (ANH) is a technique used by anesthesiologists
during surgery to conserve autologous blood. Whole blood is collected
in bags containing anticoagulant and transfused as indicated during
or after the surgical procedure. During the blood collection
process, crystalloid or colloid (intravenous fluids) are infused in
order to maintain normovolemia (normal blood pressure and heart rate),
hence the term hemodilution. Although many different terms have
been used to describe this technique including hemospasia, isovolemic
anemia, intraoperative autologous blood donation, etc., ANH is the
best known term. |
| Autologous Blood
Conservation |
Autologous blood
conservation is a broad-based term that describes a medical
approach to blood transfusion of patients. Preservation of patient's
"native" or "their own" blood supply and avoidance
of allogeneic blood transfusion are 2 hallmarks of autologous blood
transfusion. "Allogeneic" refers to the blood of a
donor or a person other than oneself. Autologous blood conservation
is a blossoming field, covering many different medical specialties
and health care areas. Its greatest application is however, within
the operating room during surgery, where the anesthesiologist and
surgeon jointly share responsibility. |
| ANH Bibliography |
This bibliography
contains an all inclusive list of medical journal publications
pertaining to ANH in English and other languages. The listed
articles were all published in peer-reviewed journals - most are indexed
in Index Medicus, Medline and PubMED, hence the PMID number. |
| Hematicus® |
The term "Hematicus"®
is derived from the Greek word "Haema" for blood, and the
Latin word "Custos" for guard - and literally means "The
Custodian of Blood." Th term was derived to describe the
essential elements of our core technology. |
Whole
Blood
Sequestration |
Whole blood sequestration
is a term that describes the actual process of removing fresh whole
blood from a patient's circulation into blood collection bags containing
anticoagulant. Whole blood sequestration must be used in conjunction
with ANH, since removal of blood from the circulation might result
in hypovolemia, i.e. hypotension. Similarly, ANH is invariably
combined with whole blood sequestration, in order to conserve autologous
blood. Whole blood sequestration should be viewed as a mechanical
maneuver and ANH as a compensatory physiologic endpoint. |
