title: Requirements for cross-matched blood in burns surgery.
abstract: This prospective study of operative blood loss during burns surgery in 142 patients demonstrated no significant difference between the loss seen during layered excision and grafting up to 7 days after thermal injury and that observed during formal excision and grafting from 8 days onward. There was no significant difference between the blood loss in infants under 3 years old and that seen in older children and adults. From the data obtained, a graphical 'tariff' has been constructed for both children up to 20 kg and older children and adults over 20 kg in weight for the ordering of cross-matched blood for perioperative transfusion. It is suggested that the use of this tariff will help to strike a balance between the wasteful overprovision and dangerous underprovision of cross-matched blood for burns surgery.
authors.affiliation: Welsh Regional Burns and Plastic Surgery Unit, St Lawrence Hospital, Chepstow, Gwent, UK.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Dye
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016038:Skin Transplantation