GASTROENTEROLOGY ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
March 26, 2009
Pollack MJ, Wong RC. The approach to patients witch acute GI hemorrhage who cannot receive a blood transfusion. Gastrointest Endosc 2008;67:945-952.
1. The risk of acquiring HCV from blood transfusion is
a. 1 in 80,000
b. 1 in 600,000
c. 1 in 2 million
d. 1 in 250,000
2. Measures to minimize need for blood transfusions include
a. administering oxygen
b. minimizing blood drawing
c. inducing hypothermia to improve the oxygen dissociation curve
d. prescribing adequate analgesia
e. High dose PPI IV
True or False
3. In patients with no history of cardiac ischemia, hemoglobin levels of 7-9gm/dL are usually well tolerated.
4. A physician can be prosecuted if he does not administer blood to a dying bleeding patient because the patient refused to get blood.
5. Transfusion reactions occur in 2% of cases, fatal hemolysis occurs in 1 in 100,000 cases
6. Emergent endoscopy should be avoided in patients who refuse blood as the procedure could precipitate additional bleeding