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

Postoperative anaemia is associated with increased postoperative morbidity. The optimal timing for postoperative packed cell volume (PCV) assessment remains unclear and varies across surgical units.

This study compared PCV values on postoperative days 1 and 2 to determine their relationship with the expected postoperative PCV.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients who had elective gynaecological surgeries at a tertiary Hospital in Southern Nigeria. PCV was measured preoperatively and at 24 and 48 hours postoperatively. Data on intraoperative blood loss, type of surgery, and anaesthesia were recorded.

The mean PCV on postoperative day 1 was 30.87 ± 3.85%, while on day 2, it was 30.33 ± 3.70%, with a significant difference (p = 0.005). The expected postoperative PCV was 31.02 ± 2.68%. The difference between day 1 PCV and the expected PCV was not statistically significant (p = 0.682). Similarly, the day 2 PCV was not significantly different from the expected value (p = 0.064).

Although a significant decline in PCV occurred between postoperative days 1 and 2, the day 1 PCV was closer to the expected postoperative value. This suggests that day 1 may be a more reliable time for routine PCV monitoring after gynaecological surgeries.