Biomaterial Database

Emergency portacaval shunting in Jehovah's Witnesses. 1980

J S Dorsey, and R M Stone

Major surgical procedures in Jehovah's Witnesses are complicated by their refusal to accept blood transfusion. This problem is accentuated in Jehovah's Witnesses with major gastrointestinal bleeding. The authors present two cases of successful surgical management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in Jehovah's Witnesses who had bleeding esophageal varices. A short "skin to skin" time and minimal blood loss were important factors in the successful outcome. Treatment of these patients without blood transfusion suggests that less blood might be needed in more routine surgical procedures.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011167	Portacaval Shunt, Surgical	Surgical portasystemic shunt between the portal vein and inferior vena cava.	Eck Fistula,Portacaval Anastomosis,Portacaval Shunt,Shunt, Surgical Portacaval,Surgical Portacaval Shunt,Anastomoses, Portacaval,Anastomosis, Portacaval,Fistula, Eck,Portacaval Anastomoses,Portacaval Shunts,Portacaval Shunts, Surgical,Shunt, Portacaval,Shunts, Portacaval,Shunts, Surgical Portacaval,Surgical Portacaval Shunts
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
D004630	Emergencies	Situations or conditions requiring immediate intervention to avoid serious adverse results.	Emergency
D004932	Esophageal and Gastric Varices	Dilated blood vessels in the ESOPHAGUS or GASTRIC FUNDUS that shunt blood from the portal circulation (PORTAL SYSTEM) to the systemic venous circulation. Often they are observed in individuals with portal hypertension (HYPERTENSION, PORTAL).	Esophageal Varices,Gastric Varices,Esophageal Varix,Gastric Varix,Varices, Esophageal,Varices, Gastric,Varix, Esophageal,Varix, Gastric
D006471	Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage	Bleeding in any segment of the GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT from ESOPHAGUS to RECTUM.	Hematochezia,Hemorrhage, Gastrointestinal,Gastrointestinal Hemorrhages,Hematochezias
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man