Reducing Blood Loss in a Burn Care Unit: A Review of Its Key Determinants

Autores da FMUP

• Acácio Agostinho Gonçalves Rodrigues

  Autor

Participantes de fora da FMUP

• Souto, J

Unidades de investigação

• Laboratório Associado RISE- Rede de Investigação em Saúde

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

• Patologia

• RISE-Health

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

Abstract

Patients with a major burn injury differ considerably from the typical critical ill and trauma population. Very often, burn patients suffer from anemia throughout their hospital stay. This is caused both by combination of persistent blood loss with decreased erythropoiesis. Therefore, burn patients do have major transfusion requirements. However, transfusion is not devoid of risks or costs. We hereby review the best surgical techniques and medical approaches, aiming to reduce blood loss in a burn patient and optimize red cell production, so that we can reduce the need of RBC transfusion. The implementation of a combination of surgical techniques aiming to reduce blood loss and medical care approaches to prevent anemia, rather than single attitudes, should be adopted in burn care. There is an urgent need for clear guidelines that can easily be accepted, applied, and spread across different burn units to methodically implement measures to reduce blood loss and transfusion needs, and ultimately improve burn patients' outcome and the health care financial status.

Keywords

• EARLY EXCISION; TRANSFUSION REQUIREMENTS; CLINICAL-TRIAL; TOPICAL EPINEPHRINE; HYDROSURGERY SYSTEM; LYSINE-VASOPRESSIN; CELL TRANSFUSION; FIBRIN SEALANT; CERIUM NITRATE; ADULT PATIENTS