Retrospective analysis of delta hemoglobin and bleeding-related risk factors in pancreaticoduodenectomy

Objective and accurate assessment of blood loss during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is crucial for ensuring the safety and efficacy of the procedure. While the visual method remains the most common clinical metric, many scholars argue that it significantly differs from actual blood loss and is inherently subjective.

To assess blood loss in PD via delta hemoglobin (ΔHb) and compare it with the visual method to predict bleeding-related risk factors.

In this retrospective analysis, 1722 patients who underwent PD from 2017 to 2022 at Shandong Provincial Hospital were divided into three groups: Open PD (OPD), laparoscopic PD (LPD), and conversion to OPD (CTOPD). Intraoperative ΔHb (IΔHb) was calculated via preoperative and 72-hour-postoperative hemoglobin concentrations, and its association with visually obtained estimated blood loss (EBL) was analyzed. Perioperative ΔHb (PΔHb) was calculated via preoperative and predischarge hemoglobin concentrations. We compared the differences in IΔHb and PΔHb among the three groups, and performed univariate and multivariate regression analyses of IΔHb and PΔHb.

The preoperative general information of patients showed no statistically significant difference among the three groups (P > 0.05). The IΔHb in the OPD, LPD, and CTOPD groups were 22.00 (12.00, 36.00), 21.00 (10.00, 33.00), and 33.00 (18.12, 52.24) g/L, respectively; And the PΔHb in the OPD, LPD, and CTOPD groups were 25.87 (13.51, 42.00), 25.00 (14.00, 45.00), and 37.48 (21.64, 59.65) g/L, respectively, values significantly differed (P < 0.05). IΔHb and EBL were significantly correlated (r = 0.337, P < 0.001). The results of univariate and multivariate regression analyses indicated that American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification IV [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.330-37.811, P = 0.049] and preoperative total bilirubin > 200 μmol/L (95%CI: 2.805-8.673, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for IΔHb (P < 0.05), and ASA classification IV (95%CI: 45.934-105.485, P < 0.001), body mass index > 24 kg/m² (95%CI: 1.285-9.890, P = 0.011), and preoperative total bilirubin > 200 μmol/L (95%CI: 6.948-16.797, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for PΔHb (P < 0.05).

There is a correlation between IΔHb and EBL in PD, so we can assess the patients' intraoperative blood loss by the ΔHb method. ASA classification IV, body mass index > 24 kg/m², and preoperative total bilirubin > 200 μmol/L increased perioperative bleeding risk.