Retrieval of placental blood from the umbilical vein to determine volume, sterility, and presence of clot formation
S. Anderson, J. Fangman, G. Wager and D. Uden
Department of Pediatrics, Minneapolis, Children's Medical Center, MN.
From August 1988 to October 1989, 60 specimens of
citrate-phosphate-dextrose-adenine anticoagulated blood were retrieved from
the placental umbilical veins of newborns from three gestational age
groups. The specimens were removed with a needle and syringe apparatus and
placed directly into sterile transfusion packs. The specimens were
evaluated for the volume obtained, sterility, and presence of macroscopic
clots. A blood volume sufficient to provide at least one transfusion (10
mL/kg) for 87% of the premature infants studied was retrieved from the
placenta. A greater blood volume per unit of birth weight was recovered
from the placentas of the smaller newborns. A 12% positive culture
frequency and a 7% frequency of detectable clots were identified. These
rates of occurrence suggest the need for further studies to determine the
origins of these complicating factors before the adoption of this technique
in the clinical setting. These findings support the hypothesis that, with
proper patient selection and with specimen culture and filtration,
placental blood may be a viable option for the autologous transfusion of
sick, premature infants.
