 The earliest report in the American literature on the use of autotransfusion was by Lockwood in 1917 who used the technique during a splenectomy for Banti syndrome.Interest in the unrefined technique of autotransfusion continued through to the early 1940s, and was applied to various procedures including treatment of ectopic pregnancy, hemothorax, ruptured spleen, perforating abdominal injuries, and neurosurgical procedures.The interest in autotransfusion dwindled during World War II, when there was a large pool of donors.