ArticleArthroplasty today2020
Is Routine Hemoglobin Monitoring Necessary after Elective Hip and Knee Arthroplasty?
Article in Arthroplasty today, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Knowledge and attitudes toward perioperative patient blood management: A cross-sectional study among Anaesthesiology and Orthopaedic Surgery Departments at a university hospital.Transfusion medicine (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- Risk factors for postoperative anemia and blood transfusion in primary anatomic and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.JSES international · 2026Article
- Routine post-operative full blood count assessment is not necessary in elective hip and knee arthroplasty: A prospective cohort study.Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma · 2025Article
- Article
- Clinical Implications of Post-operative Haemoglobin Levels in Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.Cureus · 2025Article
- Postoperative laboratory testing in the era of outpatient total joint arthroplasty: Targeted patient selection and associated cost savings.Journal of orthopaedics · 2025Review
- Article
- Are Routine Postoperative Hemoglobin Tests Justified in All Patients Who Undergo Total Hip Arthroplasty Due to a Displaced Femoral Neck Fracture?Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Are Risk Factors for Postoperative Significant Hemorrhage following Total Knee Arthroplasty Potentially Modifiable? A Retrospective Cohort Study.Journal of personalized medicine · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMany orthopaedic units measure hemoglobin (Hb) levels after primary joint arthroplasty to identify patients with postoperative anemia. With the refinement of surgical techniques, blood loss in primary arthroplasty has decreased. The aim of this study was to investigate the postoperative Hb monitoring and transfusion practices in our own institution after elective hip or knee arthroplasty.
methodsWe conducted a retrospective audit of all patients who underwent elective total hip or knee arthroplasty in Galway University Hospital between March 1 and June 1, 2019. We recorded when they underwent postoperative Hb testing, whether or not they had a drop of Hb, which would indicate transfusion (<8 g/dL), and whether or not they were transfused. In patients who underwent transfusion, a chart review was performed to establish the presence of factors that would have triggered repeat Hb testing.
resultsOne hundred thirty-six patients underwent elective primary hip or knee arthroplasty in the period. All had a full blood count sent on the first postoperative day. None (0%) had a clinically significant (to < 8g/dL) postoperative Hb drop on day 1. Eighteen (13.2%) patients underwent repeat testing on day 2 or subsequently. Eight (5.9%) exhibited a drop in Hb to less than 8 g/dL, with a mean Hb drop of 4.26 (standard error of the mean ± 0.862, standard deviation ± 0.98), and 5 (3.7%) proceeded to undergo allogenic blood product transfusion. All 5 underwent documented indications for repeat Hb testing.
conclusionsThere is no evidence for performing routine Hb testing on day 1 after elective hip or knee arthroplasty. We recommend that postoperative Hb testing should only be carried out on patients with additional indications.
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