BLOOD LOSS METER

Typical Number in Hospital: 2

Cost Bands: 4

References: 2

A knowledge of the amount of blood lost during surgery is valuable for the management of the patient. Blood lost includes that carried away on swabs, on the drapes, gowns, and on the floor. There may also be loss into the suction apparatus and some blood is immobilized within the patient. There is no perfect way to assess all the losses but a practical method of estimating losses into swabs and drapes does exist.

This device, sometimes called a perometer, looks like a small washing machine and agitates the drapes and swabs in a haemolysing solution. The concentration of blood in the solution is then estimated by a colorimetric method (to estimate the quantity of haemoglobin present), or the electrical impedance is measured to estimate blood electrolytes.

Both these methods are tedious to perform and are not often used.