Blood Transfusion Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Blood Transfusion, including details on blood donation, blood types, leukemia.

Establishing transfusion needs in burn patients.

Criswell KK, Gamelli RL

The Burn and Shock Trauma Institute, Loyola University Medical Center, 2160 South First Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153, USA. kkcriswellmd@yahoo.com

BACKGROUND: Despite blood-conservation techniques, hemorrhage during burn excision remains substantial. It is difficult to predict the blood loss that will occur per operation and how many units the patient will require during surgery. This may result in high cross-match-to-transfusion ratios (CMTRs). METHODS: A retrospective chart review from 2001 to 2003 was performed. All adult patients with >20% total body surface area burns who underwent surgery were included in the study. Variables examined were centimeters excised, estimated blood loss, packed red blood cells transfused during surgery, preoperative and postoperative hematocrit, and CMTR. RESULTS: There were 273 operations. The average estimated blood loss was 820 mL, and; the median posttransfusion hematocrit was 27. Based on the area excised and units transfused, a ratio of packed red blood cells/cm excised was determined. A total of 1.78 U blood were transfused/1000 cm(2) excised to keep hematocrit between 25 and 31; P = 0.02. CONCLUSIONS: Estimation of excision area can predict transfusion need, which at our institution yields a low CMTR.

Published 28 March 2005 in Am J Surg, 189(3): 324-6.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Blood Transfusion Research Today. All Rights Reserved.