Platelet-Rich Plasma Sequestration in Cardiac Surgery in a Jehovah’s Witness
Abstract
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES (JW) refuse allogeneic blood transfusions because of their religious beliefs, a situation that poses significant challenges in the context of cardiac surgery, given that bleeding-related complications may arise during and after the procedure.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) sequestration in cardiac surgery has been described previously.
A new-generation autotransfusion device, XTRA (LivaNova), processes fresh donor blood using the device’s built-in platelet sequestration program. According to Seyfried et al, platelet recovery in the PRP ranged from 39% to 64%. After 6 hours of storage, the prepared platelets showed an additional 9% loss of function but only a 4% decrease in viability. The preparation causes minimal cell damage and a decrease in cell function of only 10%.