Preoperative anaemia in elective surgery with bleeding risk

Area of Science:

• Surgery
• Anaemia Research
• Patient Blood Management

Background:

• Anaemia is a significant risk factor for surgical morbidity and mortality.
• Preoperative anaemia, often due to iron deficiency, is prevalent internationally (30-40%).
• Identifying and treating anaemia preoperatively is crucial for patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of preoperative anaemia in a Norwegian surgical population.
• To assess diagnostic practices for anaemia, including ferritin measurement.
• To evaluate the use of iron supplementation and blood transfusions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 293 adult patients undergoing elective surgery with expected blood loss >500 mL.
• Data collected included surgical category, haemoglobin, ferritin levels, transfusions, and iron supplementation.
• Anaemia defined as haemoglobin < 13 g/dL.

Main Results:

• Prevalence of preoperative anaemia was 34% (99/293 patients).
• Ferritin was measured in only 25% of anaemic patients.
• 10% of patients received red blood cell transfusions perioperatively.

Conclusions:

• The prevalence of preoperative anaemia in this Norwegian cohort aligns with international findings.
• Low rates of preoperative ferritin testing indicate a need for improved anaemia diagnostics and optimisation.
• Enhanced preoperative anaemia management can potentially improve surgical patient outcomes.