Don't you hate it when...

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urge

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you drop an extubated, mentating, comfortable, normal vital signs, normal acid base, well peeing pt in the ICU and the first thing they do is give blood for a htc of 22%?

I would be so upset if I were the pt.
 
that's my favorite.. isn't all of the transfusion data that we love to rely on from the critical care literature....
 
ASA guidelines say transfusion is almost never necessary for a Hb > 10 and almost always necessary for a Hb < 6. In between is where the arguments arise.

If the patient has a transfusion reaction (or worse), it's outta your hands.

-copro
 
Post scoliosis fusion with harrington rods. They all go to the icu, at least for one night, at my institution.

Now, the question is: should I have transfused in the or?
 
Post scoliosis fusion with harrington rods. They all go to the icu, at least for one night, at my institution.

Now, the question is: should I have transfused in the or?

i probably would have, i just assume these patients are going to continue to ooze and get transfused postop anyway

unless they are a super healthy ASA 1 i guess maybe yuo could let them fall to 20, although ive had a crit of 20 and let me tell you its no picnic
 
Would the chance of post op blindness change your transfusion trigger?
 
so i typically restrict fluids in all cases and if i had a patient with a crit of 22 after giving very little crystal and maybe some colloid then i would transfuse, because i know my iatrogenic hemodilution factor is pretty small but thats anecdotal

obviously these cases are at high risk for vision loss and anemia is a risk factor, id probably treat most of these patients like cardiac patients, no hypotension, maintain crit 28-30
 
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