Abstract
BACKGROUND: Estimating intraoperative blood loss can be a difficult task, especially when blood is mostly absorbed by gauze. In this study, we have provided an improved method for estimating blood absorbed by gauze. OBJECTIVES: To develop a guide to estimate blood absorbed by surgical gauze. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A clinical experiment was conducted using aspirated blood and common surgical gauze to create a realistic amount of absorbed blood in the gauze. Different percentages of staining were photographed to create an analogue for the amount of blood absorbed by the gauze. RESULTS: A visual analogue scale was created to aid the estimation of blood absorbed by the gauze. The absorptive capacity of different gauze sizes was determined when the gauze was dripping with blood. The amount of reduction in absorption was also determined when the gauze was wetted with normal saline before use. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a visual analogue may increase the accuracy of blood loss estimation and decrease the consequences related to over or underestimation of blood loss.