A modern approach to the management of acute blood loss

Blood loss of less than 15% of circulating blood volume, that is, about 10 ml/Kg of body weight, can be treated adequately without blood transfusion. Patients who have lost more than 10 ml/Kg of body weight of blood, require oxygen and infusion of adequate volumes of electrolyte solution rapidly, followed by transfusion of a volume of blood approximately equal to the volume of blood lost. Plasma expanders, such as Stable Plasma Protein Soultion (SPPS) may be indicated where there is an unusual delay in the availability of crossmatched whole blood.