[Anesthetic management of a Jehovah's Witness for pancreaticoduodenectomy].

TL;DRAbstract

For religious reasons, Jehovah's Witnesses do not accept homologous blood transfusions. Instead, they request alternative medical care that does not involve such transfusions. A 58-year-old woman, a Jehovah's Witness, was scheduled for pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic carcinoma under general and epidural anesthesia. She presented with hemoglobin (Hb) concentration of 10.3 g x dl(-1) and hematocrit (Ht) of 31.5% preoperatively. She was fully informed about the risk of cardiac arrest and postoperative complications without blood transfusion, and consented to the bloodless surgery with infusion of colloid solutions; albumin and hydroxyethylated starch, and intraoperative, salvaged, autologous blood transfusion. She submitted a signed letter, absolutely refusing homologous blood transfusion and releasing the hospital from any liability. The general anesthesia was induced using fentanyl, propofol, and vecuronium, and maintained with sevoflurane and vecuronium in combination with epidu

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