Emergency infusion of evacuated blood

A 43-year-old female developed pericardial effusion 6 weeks after a transhiatal oesophageal resection. Following pericardio- centesis, the patient showed a circulatory collapse, secondary to a bleeding in the pericardial space causing cardiac tamponade. Blood was evacuated from the pericardial space via a three-way valve and syringe connected to the pericardial catheter, and immediately infu- sed into the femoral vein via a catheter connected to the aforementioned three-way valve and syringe. Following initiation of this almost continuous pericardial drainage and autotransfusion, adequate circulation was restored. The patient remained haemodynamically stable until definitive, surgical, treatment. There were no adverse events due to this method of cell saving, and the patient made a full recovery.