Cell salvage (CS) is one of the modalities that can be used during surgery to decrease the use of allogeneic blood. Unlike acute normovolemic hemodilution, the efficiency of CS has not been mathematically modeled. In this article, we hypothesized that a mathematical model could predict the decline of hematocrit during CS. The model that was developed accounts for both the effect of decreasing the hematocrit because of blood loss and the effect of increasing hematocrit because of the readministration of washed blood in an isovolemic patient. The efficiency of CS is defined to be the maximum allowable blood loss (MABL) for a fixed blood volume and a fixed transfusion trigger. For demonstration purposes, variables used for a hypothetical patient included an estimated blood volume of 5000 mL, a presurgery hematocrit of 45%, and a transfusion trigger of 21%. The MABL in a typical case was 9600 mL, with a CS red cell recovery rate of 60%. Patient records from a convenience sample showed an average recovery rate of 57% with 20% variability. This mathematical model suggests that CS can be a highly effective blood conservation method when red blood cell collection is optimal.
Implications: In this study, a mathematical model of cell salvage was developed. The model was then matched against real clinical cases to gain an understanding of the variables that modify cell salvage efficiency. The model illustrates that cell salvage can be a highly effective method of avoiding blood transfusion.