Occurrence and determinants of poor response to short-term pre-operative erythropoietin treatment

• Published in: Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica 2013-03, Vol.57 (3), p.350-357
• Main Authors: van HAELST, I. M. M., EGBERTS, A. C. G., DOODEMAN, H. J., van SOLINGE, W. W., KALKMAN, C. J., BENNIS, M., TRAAST, H. S., van KLEI, W. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Anemia - blood; Anemia - drug therapy; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; Blood Transfusion; Comorbidity; Confidence intervals; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Erythropoietin - therapeutic use; Female; Hemoglobins - analysis; Hip joint; Humans; Joint surgery; Male; Older people; Preoperative Care; Recombinant Proteins - therapeutic use; Treatment Failure; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0001-5172; 1399-6576
• DOI: 10.1111/aas.12029

Background This study aimed to explore the occurrence and determinants of poor response to short‐term pre‐operative erythropoietin treatment and the effect of such poor response on transfusion in total hip arthroplasty patients. Methods We studied total hip arthroplasty patients who received erythropoietin before surgery. The primary outcome was the pre‐operative increase in haemoglobin (delta haemoglobin) as response to erythropoietin therapy. Additionally, patients were classified in tertiles based on this delta haemoglobin: poor responders (cases), responders and good responders (controls) to erythropoietin. Patient characteristics, comedication and co‐morbidity were collected as potential determinants of erythropoietin response. Regression techniques were used to estimate the strength of the associations and to assess the effect of poor response on transfusion requirement. Results A total of 379 patients receiving erythropoietin were eligible to enter the study. Mean delta haemoglobin was 19.3 g/l (standard deviation 9.4). Factors significantly associated with delta haemoglobin were the use of angiotensin II antagonists [−3.1 g/l; 95% confidence interval (CI) −5.7 to −0.6] and vitamin K antagonists (−6.9 g/l; 95% CI −10.0 to −0.2), together with body mass index (BMI) (−0.3 g/l per unit>; 95% CI −0.5 to −0.2). The additional case‐control analysis yielded comparable results. Poor response to erythropoietin was associated with an increased transfusion risk (odds ratio 4.6, 95% CI 2.0–11). Conclusion Use of angiotensin II receptor antagonists and vitamin K antagonists, and having a high BMI were determinants of poor response to short‐term pre‐operative erythropoietin treatment in total hip arthroplasty patients. Poor responders had a higher risk for perioperative blood transfusion.