post-operative follow-up of the patients who underwent by-pass operation in the beating heart with or without blood transfusion on the effects of nursing work load

This study was performed to decrease the use of blood and blood products, toprevent the diseases transmitted via blood transfusion, to prevent the postoperativeadverse effects of blood transfusion and to investigate the contribution of theseadvers effects on the nursery work load.The study was undertaken with 60 patients, whom admitted to participate inthe investigation, that were hospitalized in the Cardiovascular Surgery service ofAfyon Kocatepe University, School of Medicine between 2006 November and 2007June. The patients who underwent by-pass operation in the beating heart withoutblood transfusion and with blood transfusion were included into the study as twogroups. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and liver function tests of all patients wereobtained preoperatively.In the post-operative period, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, liver functiontests and additionally white blood cell counting, blood pressure, pulse and subfebrileand febrile temperatures of the patients were obtained. Also; age, weight, heightvalues, the amount and dates of drainage, the complaint of pain to the nurses, the oralanalgesics taken due to the pain and treatments given secondary to the post-operativepulmonary problems were recorded in both groups.The results were analysed with Student T test and Mann-Whitney U teststatistically.As a result, while age, gender, accompanying diseases and risk factorswere found similar in both groups; erythrocyte sedimentation rate, subfebrile andfebrile temperature frequency and nursing demand cause of fever and pain in thepost-operative period were found lower significantly in the group that were nottransfused.Consequently, the patients who were not transfused during by-passoperation report fewer complaints and decrease the work load of the nurses.Key words: By-Pass, Beating heart, Nurse work load.