Are we all guilty of under-estimating intra-operative blood loss during hip fracture surgery?
OBJECTIVE
To assess how accurately orthopaedic surgeons and anaesthesiologists estimate intraoperative blood loss during hip fracture surgery as part of the Surgical Safety Checklist (SCC).


METHODS
A prospective study of 55 operations over 9 months. Pre- and post-operative estimations of blood loss were documented. Actual blood loss was determined by subtracting total amount of lavage fluid used from overall volumes in the suction bag and by weighing used swabs.


RESULTS
Both, surgeons and anaesthesiologists, significantly underestimated intraoperative blood loss (p< 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Rather than numerical estimates, a more useful question within the SSC may therefore be: "Is excessive blood loss expected?"
Birmingham Orthopaedic Training Programme, Health Education West Midlands, 213 Hagley Road, Birmingham B16 9RG, UK.
Basil
B
Budair
Birmingham Orthopaedic Training Programme, Health Education West Midlands, 213 Hagley Road, Birmingham B16 9RG, UK.
Usman
U
Ahmed
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Mindelsohn Way, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2WB, UK.
James
J
Hodson
Birmingham Orthopaedic Training Programme, Health Education West Midlands, 213 Hagley Road, Birmingham B16 9RG, UK.
Michael
M
David
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Mindelsohn Way, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2WB, UK.
Mujeeb
M
Ashraf
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Mindelsohn Way, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2WB, UK.
Tim
T
McBride
Blood loss; Hip fractures; Orthopaedic; Perception