A FORMULA TO CALCULATE BLOOD CROSS-MATCH REQUIREMENTS FOR EARLY BURN SURGERY IN CHILDREN

Excessive bleeding from the burn site accompanies burn surgery, and bl ood transfusions are therefore an essential and expensive ingredient. A formula, based on the total surface area to be involved in surgery ( i.e. burn plus donor area) and the patient's total blood volume, has b een in use in our hospital for calculating blood cross-match volumes, but has not been scientifically evaluated. Prospectively the predicted blood loss, based an the formula in 111 consecutive paediatric burns undergoing surgery, was compared with the actual blood loss as measure d using a gravimetric method. Provided that an accurate surface area t o be involved in surgery is interposed into the formula, there was a s tatistically highly significant correlation between the predicted and actual blood loss. Invoking this simple formula may help in decreasing unnecessary cross-matching and discarding, of blood products.