Immediate haemoglobin testing in association with a dedicated anaemia clinic: Effectiveness for primary total knee replacement patients

Abstract

Introduction Preoperative anaemia is associated with higher transfusion rates, increased hospital stays and poorer outcomes. Addressing preoperative anaemia is a crucial pillar of Patient Blood Management. Conventionally, patients are listed for surgery and then screened for anaemia in the pre-assessment clinic, followed by referral to their general practitioner. This process involves substantial delays, and poorly treated anaemia often results in perioperative transfusions. We assessed our pathway of immediate haemoglobin testing at the time of listing in conjunction with a dedicated preoperative anaemia clinic for detecting and treating anaemia in primary total knee replacement patients. Materials and methods We compared transfusion rates between anaemic patients undergoing a primary total knee replacement who were treated in this pathway with those who were not. We reviewed the preoperative haemoglobin levels, transfusion rates and treatment for all primary total knee arthroplasty patients over three years amounting to 2296. Results Transfusion rates were significantly lower in the group treated in this pathway compared to those who were not. The treated group also had significantly higher preoperative haemoglobin levels. Discussion and conclusion: Immediate haemoglobin testing in association with a dedicated preoperative anaemia clinic is effective at detecting and treating anaemia in primary total knee replacement patients and reduces transfusion requirements.