CHANGES IN PACKED CELL VOLUME AFTER GYNAECOLOGICAL SURGERIES: A COMPARISON OF DAY 1 AND DAY 2 VALUES

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Gynecologic Surgery
• Hematology

Background:

• Postoperative anemia increases patient morbidity.
• Optimal timing for postoperative packed cell volume (PCV) assessment is not well-defined.
• Current practices for PCV monitoring vary across institutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare postoperative PCV values on day 1 versus day 2.
• To assess the relationship between measured and expected postoperative PCV.
• To determine the optimal timing for PCV assessment after gynecological surgery.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study design.
• Inclusion of patients undergoing elective gynecological surgeries.
• Preoperative and postoperative (24 and 48 hours) PCV measurements.
• Recording of intraoperative blood loss, surgery type, and anesthesia data.

Main Results:

• Mean PCV on postoperative day 1 was 30.87 ± 3.85%, and on day 2 was 30.33 ± 3.70%.
• Day 1 PCV showed no statistically significant difference from the expected postoperative PCV (p = 0.682).
• Day 2 PCV also showed no significant difference from the expected value (p = 0.064).

Conclusions:

• A significant decline in PCV occurred between postoperative days 1 and 2.
• Postoperative day 1 PCV measurements were closer to expected values.
• Day 1 is suggested as a more reliable time for routine PCV monitoring following gynecological procedures.