[Anesthetic management of Jehovah's Witnesses patients undergoing open heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass].

BACKGROUND: The anesthetic management of Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) patients undergoing open heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with a major risk of anemic hypoxia.

METHODS: Fifteen patients from the community of JW underwent open heart surgery. The surgical procedures undertaken were aortic valve replacement in 7 patients, mitral valve plasty or replacement in 5 patients, repair of congenital heart diseases in 2 patients, and removal of left atrial myxoma in one patient. Hemoglobin values, cardiac output, and oxygen delivery (Do2) as well as consumption (Vo2) were evaluated during and after surgery.

RESULTS: After CPB, the mean hemoglobin (Hb) value decreased to 8.2 g x dl(-1) from the baseline level of 11.6 g x dl(-1) (P = 0.0007); however, it increased to 10.5 g x dl(-1) at the end of surgery Cardiac index remained unchanged. Oxygen delivery (Do2) decreased after CPB from its baseline level, whereas oxygen consumption remained unchanged. Twenty-four hours after surgery, Do2 recovered to its baseline level because of an increase in cardiac output with the Hb value of 10.7 g x dl(-1) .

CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in Hb level is unavoidable in cardiac surgery with CPB in these JW patients. This survey showed that the decrease in Hb level may be compensated by conserved cardiac output avoiding the decrease of Do2 to its critical level when hypoxia occurs.