Background:

Anaemia and transfusions are frequent in critically ill patients and there are avoidable causes such as routine laboratory tests.

Patients and methods:

Descriptive study during one continuous week including patients over 18-years old in a medical-surgical ICU.

Results:

18 patients were included during a week in 12 beds in our unit, median age 62,5 years, 50% male. Median daily blood loss was 35ml, 45% in laboratory samples and 27% related to renal replacement therapy. 3 patients required 1 transfusion of red blood cells.

Conclusions:

There is a pattern of continuous blood loss in critically ill patients, primarily in routine laboratory tests. (AU)