Reducing blood loss in a burn care unit: a review of its key determinants

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 losses with decreased erythropoiesis. Therefore, burn victims 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 victim 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.