Certain medications may help prepare the body for bloodless procedures.
Medications may help increase red or white blood cells or hemoglobin levels. Medications may also assist with minimizing blood loss and maximizing the amount of oxygen in the blood.
Patients opting for a no blood treatment plan at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia may be prescribed or given certain medications that optimize blood levels several weeks before elective surgery such as:
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Aminocaproic acid to treat bleeding
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Blood substitutes to act as oxygen carriers such as perfluorocarbons and hemoglobin substitutes
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Desmopressin to increase certain blood clotting factors
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Erythropoietin to stimulate the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells, such as Procrit, Epoetin, Alfa, Epogen or Aranesp
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Interleukin-11 to boost platelet counts
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Iron (oral and IV)
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Neupogen or Leukine to increase production of white blood cells
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Vasopressin to regulate the kidneys and blood vessels
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Vitamin K to help coagulation or blood clotting