Question

Which of the following is NOT a means to assess ongoing blood loss intraoperatively?

A) Monitoring suction canisters
B) Periodically weighing the patient
C) Counting soiled laparotomy pads
D) Checking the hematocrit level
E) All of the above

Answer 1

Periodically weighing the patient is NOT a means to assess ongoing intraoperative blood loss; other methods such as monitoring suction canisters, counting soiled laparotomy pads, and checking hematocrit levels are utilized.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question relates to measuring intraoperative blood loss, identifying which method is NOT used to assess ongoing blood loss. When discussing intraoperative monitoring, we acknowledge several methods:

• Monitoring suction canisters to estimate the volume of blood lost.
• Counting soiled laparotomy pads which are weighed to quantify blood loss.
• Checking the hematocrit level is a laboratory measure of the concentration of red blood cells, which can indicate significant changes in blood volume.

The incorrect option here is periodically weighing the patient, as it is not practical or accurate during surgery due to various factors such as the administration of fluids and the placement of surgical drapes.