Accuracy in measuring intraoperative bleeding in obstetric procedures: Gravimetric quantification versus visual estimation
Main Article Content
Keywords
Uterine Hemorrhage, Nursing, Gravimetric Quantification
Abstract
Introduction: Hemorrhage during obstetric surgical procedures increases morbidity and mortality and has an influence upon the intraoperative outcome. Gravimetric quantification of textile material is an accurate method during the intraoperative period.
Objective: To implement an educational intervention based on gravimetric quantification of textile material and routine visual estimation during the intraoperative period of obstetric procedures.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental study was conducted to compare the accuracy of visual estimation and gravimetric quantification methods in 70 obstetric surgical procedures. 117 nursing professionals participated in the educational intervention, which was structured in 4 phases: situational diagnosis, theoretical update, ethical validation, and practical workshops on the use of digital scales. The staff's visual perception was compared with the actual weight of the textile material, obtained by subtracting the standardized dry weight.
Results: The difference between the visual and gravimetric methods of measuring hemorrhage in textile material during the intraoperative period of obstetric procedures was 11.2%. A difference of 4.25 g was observed between both methods (p = 0.005).
Conclusions: The implementation of gravimetric quantification of textile material improves the ability to identify abnormal bleeding in patients undergoing obstetric procedures.
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