Biomaterial Database

Open-heart surgery in Jehovah's Witnesses. 1990

J B Olsen, and P Alstrup, and T Madsen

Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.

During a 7-year period, 11 adult members of the religious sect Jehovah's Witnesses underwent cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation. No homologous blood transfusions were given. Blood-conserving procedures were employed, viz. initial collection of autologous blood, haemofiltration or processing (Cell Saver) of blood collected during extracorporeal circulation and reinfusion of shed mediastinal blood. The total perioperative blood loss averaged 1080 ml (15 ml/kg body weight), equalling 19% of total body blood volume. The mean haemoglobin on discharge from hospital was 11.0 g/100 ml. There was no perioperative mortality. Postoperative pulmonary function was good and there was no serious morbidity. Jehovah's witnesses with serious, surgery-necessitating heart disease can be offered operation comprising recognized blood-conserving procedures.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D001803	Blood Transfusion	The introduction of whole blood or blood component directly into the blood stream. (Dorland, 27th ed)	Blood Transfusions,Transfusion, Blood,Transfusions, Blood
D002835	Christianity	The religion stemming from the life, teachings, and death of Jesus Christ: the religion that believes in God as the Father Almighty who works redemptively through the Holy Spirit for men's salvation and that affirms Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior who proclaimed to man the gospel of salvation. (From Webster, 3d ed)	Stigmata,Christian Ethics,Christian Ethic,Ethic, Christian,Ethics, Christian
D005112	Extracorporeal Circulation	Diversion of blood flow through a circuit located outside the body but continuous with the bodily circulation.	Circulation, Extracorporeal,Circulations, Extracorporeal,Extracorporeal Circulations
D005260	Female		Females
D006348	Cardiac Surgical Procedures	Surgery performed on the heart.	Cardiac Surgical Procedure,Heart Surgical Procedure,Heart Surgical Procedures,Procedure, Cardiac Surgical,Procedure, Heart Surgical,Procedures, Cardiac Surgical,Procedures, Heart Surgical,Surgical Procedure, Cardiac,Surgical Procedure, Heart,Surgical Procedures, Cardiac,Surgical Procedures, Heart
D006440	Hemofiltration	Extracorporeal ULTRAFILTRATION technique without HEMODIALYSIS for treatment of fluid overload and electrolyte disturbances affecting renal, cardiac, or pulmonary function.	Arteriovenous Hemofiltration,Venovenous Hemofiltration,Arteriovenous Hemofiltrations,Hemofiltration, Arteriovenous,Hemofiltration, Venovenous,Hemofiltrations,Venovenous Hemofiltrations
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor