BVA-100 Clinical Utility

The  BVA-100 measures blood volume with 98% accuracy in a broad range of medical and surgical conditions. 

Anemia

Anemia is a condition that develops when blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin. Anemia can be caused by many conditions such as blood loss during surgery, chemotherapy or kidney disease. Many clinicians rely on the hematocrit test as a surrogate measure of blood volume. An accurate measure of red blood cell volume can provide specific information about the extent of red cell depletion and guide appropriate therapy.

Blood loss during surgery or trauma

Four million patients receive blood transfusions annually. Without an accurate true measure of blood volume, physicians are faced with a difficult choice of administering a transfusion that may cause infection or other complications, or withholding a transfusion from a patient who may suffer significant complications such as kidney damage or a thrombotic event from low blood volume (hypovolemia).

A recent study showed  the average post surgical RBCV loss was 38% and  not hemodilution as hypothesized using Hct as a surrogate measure.   The investigator concluded that standard transfusion triggers may not be sensitive and specific enough to adequately individualize resuscitation.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Over one million people in the US are reported to suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a complicated disorder characterized by extreme fatigue. Preliminary studies have shown that some patients with CFS have low blood volume. Accurately measuring total blood volume can help distinguish CFS patients from patients whose symptoms are unrelated to blood volume abnormalities.

Hypertension 

Around 85 million people in the US have hypertension or high blood pressure  and many are inadequately treated.   Hypertension is caused by excess blood volume or vasoconstriction (excessive tightening of the blood vessels).  Hypertension is treated with two types of medications – vasodilators which relax the blood vessels, or diuretics which causes fluid loss and a decrease in blood volume.   

Blood volume is rarely measured when managing patients with high blood pressure. There are more than fifty drugs currently approved for hypertension therapy. Treatment  guided by blood volume analysis eliminates the guesswork in choosing which therapy is best for each patient.

Orthostatic hypotension

Orthostatic hypertension or postural hypotension is a common form of low blood pressure. It occurs after a change in body position, typically when a person rises from a sitting or lying position. Blood volume measurement can help guide preventative therapy.

Preoperative screening

Preoperative screening of blood volume can help identify blood volume abnormalities. Patients with low blood volume can be treated in advance to build up their blood volume to normal levels prior to surgery. Patients who have a normal blood volume at the onset of surgery are less likely to require a transfusion.

Red cell mass

Red cell mass is a test most commonly ordered by hematologists to assess the total amount of red blood cells in patients undergoing chemotherapy. The original method of performing this test used a complicated and time-consuming method based on a chromium isotope called Cr51. This isotope has since been taken off the market. The BVA-100 test provides an accurate measurement of total red blood cell volume enabling physicians easy and safe access to critical information.

Renal failure

Renal failure occurs when blood flow to the kidneys is interrupted or when the kidneys become overloaded with toxins.  There are more than 500,000 people in kidney failure, with over 250,000 on renal dialysis treatments. These patients experience significant changes in their blood volume during treatment and may also suffer from severe anemia requiring additional therapy to stimulate red blood cell production.   

Syncope

Syncope is loss of consciousness (fainting) due to a drop in blood pressure. Hypovolemia (low blood volume) and anemia (low red cell volume) have been shown to be prevalent in syncope. Blood volume measurement can help define the condition and guide an appropriate treatment plan.