- Joined
- Mar 6, 2006
- Messages
- 18
- Reaction score
- 0
I would appreciate a view on this:
A 76 year old man has elective surgery to remove gall stones using laproscopic surgery.
He has no history of heart problems.
Haemoglobin was normal pre-surgery, but dropped drastically post-surgery
(Hg less than 4)
Estimated blood loss during surgery = 500ml
Can one conclude (1 or 2):
A. The patient suffered modest post-operative blood loss
B. The patient suffered severe post-operative blood loss
Is the answer obvious?
The patient suffers left ventricular failure and dies later that day.
Would such a degree of blood loss result in left ventricular failure?
Can one conclude (1 or 2):
1. Given that he had little evidence of significant pre-existing heart disease and given that fluid/blood loss was modest post-operatively, the severity of his heart problems are difficult to account for.
2. Given that he had little evidence of significant pre-existing heart disease and given that fluid/blood loss was severe post-operatively, the severity of his heart problems can be explained by the severe blood loss.
Is the answer obvious?
What would cause such a massive blood loss?
Eg a clip coming off, "nicking" a vessel etc?
Any comments on what happened?
A 76 year old man has elective surgery to remove gall stones using laproscopic surgery.
He has no history of heart problems.
Haemoglobin was normal pre-surgery, but dropped drastically post-surgery
(Hg less than 4)
Estimated blood loss during surgery = 500ml
Can one conclude (1 or 2):
A. The patient suffered modest post-operative blood loss
B. The patient suffered severe post-operative blood loss
Is the answer obvious?
The patient suffers left ventricular failure and dies later that day.
Would such a degree of blood loss result in left ventricular failure?
Can one conclude (1 or 2):
1. Given that he had little evidence of significant pre-existing heart disease and given that fluid/blood loss was modest post-operatively, the severity of his heart problems are difficult to account for.
2. Given that he had little evidence of significant pre-existing heart disease and given that fluid/blood loss was severe post-operatively, the severity of his heart problems can be explained by the severe blood loss.
Is the answer obvious?
What would cause such a massive blood loss?
Eg a clip coming off, "nicking" a vessel etc?
Any comments on what happened?
Anyway, to sum up, Waiting4Ganong is right in the fact that confidentiality can be breached, even if care has been taken not to name the patient. Cherry, you had enough info. in there to definitely make the patient identifiable, if someone familiar with the case happened to look in here.