An autotransfusionist, also known as a perioperative blood management technologist, is a specialized allied health professional who operates the cell saver machine during surgeries that expect significant blood loss. The autotransfusionist is responsible for collecting shed blood from the patient during the operation, scrubs or cleans the blood of impurities, then makes it available to be reinfused into the patient. The process is commonly known as "cell-saver" and is considered far superior to the use of blood from a donor, because it reduces the possibility of infection and provides more functional cells back to the patient. Because the blood is recirculated, there is no limit to the amount of blood that can be given back to the patient.

Autotransfusion Autotransfusion is a process wherein a person receives their own blood for a transfusion, instead of banked allogenic (separate-donor) blood. There are two main kinds of autotransfusion: Blood can be autologously "pre-donated" (termed so despite ...

can be achieved in the operating room, intensive care unit, and emergency department and require varying degrees of expertise depending on the procedure.

Procedures

Autotransfusionists are involved in many types of surgical procedures, including: *

Abdominal aortic aneurysm Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a localized enlargement of the abdominal aorta such that the diameter is greater than 3 cm or more than 50% larger than normal. They usually cause no symptoms, except during rupture. Occasionally, abdominal ...

Liver transplantation Liver transplantation or hepatic transplantation is the replacement of a diseased liver with the healthy liver from another person ( allograft). Liver transplantation is a treatment option for end-stage liver disease and acute liver failure, ...

Liver resection Hepatectomy is the surgical resection (removal of all or part) of the liver. While the term is often employed for the removal of the liver from a liver transplant donor, this article will focus on partial resections of hepatic tissue and hepat ...

Jehovah Witness Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian Millenarianism or millenarism (from Latin , "containing a thousand") is the belief by a religious, social, or political group or movement in a coming fundamental transformation of society, after whi ...

with patient approval and expected large blood loss. * Patient with antibodies for whom cross-matched blood is unavailable * Pediatric spines *

Craniotomy A craniotomy is a surgical operation in which a bone flap is temporarily removed from the skull to access the brain. Craniotomies are often critical operations, performed on patients who are suffering from brain lesions, such as tumors, blood clots ...

Prostatectomy Prostatectomy (from the Greek , "prostate" and , "excision") as a medical term refers to the surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland. This operation is done for benign conditions that cause urinary retention, as well as for prosta ...

Spinal fusion Spinal fusion, also called spondylodesis or spondylosyndesis, is a neurosurgical or orthopedic surgical technique that joins two or more vertebrae. This procedure can be performed at any level in the spine (cervical, thoracic, or lumbar) and pre ...

* Hip Revision *

Kidney The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; bloo ...

pancreas The pancreas is an organ of the digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. In humans, it is located in the abdomen behind the stomach and functions as a gland. The pancreas is a mixed or heterocrine gland, i.e. it has both an en ...

, and small bowel transplants *

Hip replacement Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant, that is, a hip prosthesis. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi (half) replacement. Such joint replacement ...

Knee replacement Knee replacement, also known as knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure to replace the weight-bearing surfaces of the knee joint to relieve pain and disability, most commonly offered when joint pain is not diminished by conservative sources a ...

Hysterectomy Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus. It may also involve removal of the cervix, ovaries ( oophorectomy), Fallopian tubes ( salpingectomy), and other surrounding structures. Usually performed by a gynecologist, a hysterectomy may ...

Myomectomy Myomectomy, sometimes also called fibroidectomy, refers to the surgical removal of uterine leiomyomas, also known as fibroids. In contrast to a hysterectomy, the uterus remains preserved and the woman retains her reproductive potential. Indicati ...

Endovascular aneurysm repair Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is a type of minimally-invasive endovascular surgery used to treat pathology of the aorta, most commonly an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). When used to treat thoracic aortic disease, the procedure is then ...

Thoracic aortic aneurysm A thoracic aortic aneurysm is an aortic aneurysm that presents primarily in the thorax. A thoracic aortic aneurysm is the "ballooning" of the upper aspect of the aorta, above the diaphragm. Untreated or unrecognized they can be fatal due to dissec ...

ENT Ents are a species of beings in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world Middle-earth who closely resemble trees; their leader is Treebeard of Fangorn forest. Their name is derived from an Old English word for giant. The Ents appear in ''The Lord ...

Education

Most autotransfusionists hold a bachelor's degree and have some form of credentialed medical background ranging from: *

Anesthesia Anesthesia is a state of controlled, temporary loss of sensation or awareness that is induced for medical or veterinary purposes. It may include some or all of analgesia (relief from or prevention of pain), paralysis (muscle relaxation), a ...

(

Cer.A.T. Certified Anesthesia Technician (Cer.A.T.) is a title granted to an individual that successfully meets the experience and examination requirements of the certification. The certification is regulated by the American Society of Anesthesia Technologi ...

, or

Cer.A.T.T. The American Society of Anesthesia Technologists & Technicians, or ASATT, based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, is a non-profit, educational organization responsible for the standards of technologist/technician competency in all areas of anesthesia. ...

) *

Medical Technology Health technology is defined by the World Health Organization as the "application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures, and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of li ...

( MLT, or MT) *

Nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

(

LPN A licensed practical nurse (LPN), in much of the United States and Canada, is a nurse who cares for people who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled. In the United States, LPNs work under the direction of physicians, mid-level practi ...

or RN) *

Perfusion Perfusion is the passage of fluid through the circulatory system or lymphatic system to an organ or a tissue, usually referring to the delivery of blood to a capillary bed in tissue. Perfusion is measured as the rate at which blood is deliv ...

( CCP) *

Respiratory Therapy A respiratory therapist is a specialized healthcare practitioner trained in critical care and cardio-pulmonary medicine in order to work therapeutically with people who have acute critical conditions, cardiac and pulmonary disease. Respirat ...

(

CRT CRT or Crt may refer to: Science, technology, and mathematics Medicine and biology * Calreticulin, a protein *Capillary refill time, for blood to refill capillaries *Cardiac resynchronization therapy and CRT defibrillator (CRT-D) * Catheter-re ...

or RRT) * Surgery ( CST) Currently, the

International Board of Blood Management International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

is the governing body for certification in autotransfusion (CPBMT). The IBBM's mission is to promote education and sound scientific principles to advance the safe and competent practice of perioperative blood management. In order to become a Certified Perioperative Blood Management Technologist (CPBMT), one must: * Have a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent * Be practicing in the field of blood management for a minimum of one year * Complete a yearly minimum of fifty autotransfusion procedures.

References

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External links

American Association of Blood Banks

American Society of Anesthesia Technologists & Technicians

American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology

International Board of Blood Management

Australian and New Zealand College of Perfusionists
Allied health professions Transfusion medicine