P.132 Blood loss quantification and management strategies in cranial neurosurgery: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: Blood loss quantification and management are important facets of cranial surgery, having been linked with adverse outcomes if management is inadequate. While many studies report estimated blood loss (EBL) as an outcome measure, inconsistencies exist in EBL quantification and management strategies Methods: A systematic review of cranial surgery literature on blood loss measurement and management was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines utilizing a novel software platform, Nested Knowledge Results: Initial search yielded 1029 non-duplicated. 107 full-text studies were included. 70% of studies were retrospective. Most common treatment conditions were 41% craniosynostosis (44/107) and 36% tumor (39/107). Most common EBL measurement methods were comparison of pre-operative and post-operative hemoglobin/hematocrit in 46.7% (50/107), anesthesia record in 26.2% (28/107), and surgeon estimation in 9.3% (10/107). 53.3% of studies did not specify a quantification methodology. Blood loss management strategies also varied, with transfusion being the most common method in 64.5% (69/107) of studies Conclusions: EBL quantification and blood loss management remain important clinical and research metrics. Despite this, significant heterogeneity exists in blood loss quantification and management strategies, with most studies providing no data on EBL quantification. Standardization of EBL quantification/reporting should be undertaken to improve comparability and consistency across studies.