Autotransfusion in dogs with hemoabdomen is indicated when acute hemorrhagic shock requires immediate volume resuscitation and allogeneic blood products are unavailable, expensive, or insufficient to meet demand. The procedure is contraindicated if there is any concern for contamination with urine, gastrointestinal contents, bile, or bacteria; cytology, lactate, glucose, and creatinine of the abdominal effusion should be performed prior to collection to rule out these sources of contamination.Journal of the…

Three distinct techniques have been described in dogs. The simplest is the two-syringe technique: blood is collected from the abdominal cavity by the surgeon intraoperatively and passed to an assistant, who transfers it to a second syringe for direct intravenous administration through an inline blood filter.Journal of Vete… A cell saver (CS) device offers a more advanced alternative — it processes and washes collected blood, with the added advantage of filtering leukocytes and neoplastic cells, making it particularly relevant in dogs with splenic hemangiosarcoma.Frontiers in Ve…+1 A third option is an ultrafiltration device (Hemosep), which has been described for acute intraoperative hemorrhage in a dog when blood loss reached 20% of estimated blood volume within 30 minutes.Veterinary Reco… Preoperatively, a small-bore wire-guided peritoneal catheter can be placed percutaneously to collect blood for autotransfusion before surgery, potentially enabling faster drainage than needle paracentesis and reducing the need for repeated percutaneous puncture.Journal of Vete…

A blood filter is recommended for all redelivery techniques to limit microaggregates that may provoke an inflammatory response. An 18-μm filter is one described option.Journal of the… No anticoagulant is required when using the two-syringe or direct collection approach, as defibrination of blood pooled in the peritoneal cavity typically prevents clotting.Journal of the…

Autotransfusion produces hematocrit increases comparable to allogeneic transfusion. In dogs with acute hemoperitoneum of splenic origin, hematocrit improvement over time was similar across groups receiving cell saver autotransfusion, allogeneic transfusion only, or a combination of both.Frontiers in Ve… Dogs receiving combined allo- and autotransfusion received a median total transfused volume of 54.0 mL/kg (range 24.7–126.5 mL/kg), compared to a median of 7.6 mL/kg (range 4.6–13.5 mL/kg) in the allogeneic-only group, reflecting that the combined group had more severe hemorrhage requiring both modalities.Frontiers in Ve…

The primary safety concern is consumptive coagulopathy. Hypocoagulability has been documented in 80% of canine autotransfusions, and a post-transfusion platelet count and clotting times should be assessed to monitor for its development.Journal of the… Hemolysis due to mechanical injury to red blood cells during collection and reinfusion is an additional risk, particularly with prolonged exposure to serosal membranes.Journal of the… In the two-syringe case series, all 4 dogs survived, were discharged within 3 days, and no complications were noted; 3 of the 4 cases met criteria for massive transfusion based on volume and administration time.Journal of Vete…

Nontraumatic hemoabdomen in dogs is most commonly caused by a ruptured splenic mass, with splenic origin accounting for 62.5% to 90% of cases, malignant neoplasia present in 76% to 80% of cases overall, and hemangiosarcoma comprising 63% to 70% of malignant splenic neoplasms.Journal of the… Autotransfusion does not preclude surgical planning — abdominal ultrasonography should be performed to identify the primary lesion and evaluate for gross metastatic disease, though it carries 0% sensitivity for diffuse nodular metastasis, all confirmed cases of which in one series were metastatic hemangiosarcoma.Journal of the…

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