| Methods |
Patients undergoing isolated primary coronary revascularisation between July and December 1989 were enrolled in this randomised control trial. Patients were randomised by coded instruction packets which specified the processing and administration of the patient's salvaged intra‐operative blood. Sealed instruction packets were randomised using a shuffle deck procedure, serially numbered, and assigned sequentially to patients in order of enrolment. The sealed instruction packets were sent with the patients to the operating room. |
| Participants |
50 patients undergoing primary coronary revascularisation were randomised to one of two groups:
|
| Interventions |
Group 1: Autotransfusion group had their blood scavenged from the surgical field using an autologous blood scavenging system (Cell Saver 4, Haemonetics). The shed blood collected from the operative field and the pump blood were washed and then re‐infused. Group 2: Control group blood had their blood scavenged from the surgical field using an autologous blood scavenging system (Cell Saver 4, Haemonetics). The shed blood collected from the operative field was discarded. Only the pump blood was reinfused. |
| Outcomes |
Outcomes reported: amount of blood re‐transfused from the cell saver, number of patients transfused allogeneic blood, amount of allogeneic blood transfused, amount of any blood product transfused. |
| Notes |
Transfusion threshold: packed red blood cell transfusions were given if the patients haemoglobin was less than 7.0g/dL or if the patient was haemodynamically unstable due to volume loss. |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
|
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
High risk |
Method used to conceal treatment allocation was inadequate. |
| Blinding (performance bias and detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Single‐blinded. |
