Blood Loss From Diagnostic Laboratory Tests in Critically III Patient and Anemia

Objective: Anemia is very common problem in critically ill patients, and it has many deleterious effects of morbidity and mortality, decreased in oxygen carrying capacity. Phlebotomy is an important factor contributing to anemia and the need for transfusion. We aimed to evaluate the volumes of blood drawn for laboratory tests from critically ill patients, and effect on anemia and transfusion practices. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 60 critically ill patients. Data were recorded daily including volume of the withdrawn blood, hemoglobin (Hb), indication for transfusion, and number of units transfused. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II ve Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, the length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (ICU). Results: Thirty six of the patients (60%) that transfused had significantly higher admitting APACHE II and SOFA scores (p