Accuracy of training blood volume quantification using a visual estimation tool

Janett Kreutziger; Philip Puchner; Stefan Schmid; Wolfgang Mayer; Harald Prossliner; Wolfgang Lederer

doi:10.5847/wjem.j.1920-8642.2021.03.002

Accuracy of training blood volume quantification using a visual estimation tool

World J Emerg Med. 2021;12(3):174-178. doi: 10.5847/wjem.j.1920-8642.2021.03.002.

Authors

Janett Kreutziger¹, Philip Puchner², Stefan Schmid¹, Wolfgang Mayer³, Harald Prossliner⁴, Wolfgang Lederer⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of General and Surgical Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
² Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Wels-Grieskirchen Hospital, Wels 4600, Austria.
³ Department of Transfusion Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
⁴ Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.

PMID: 34141030
PMCID: PMC8188276
DOI: 10.5847/wjem.j.1920-8642.2021.03.002

Abstract

Background: We investigated whether the use of a specially designed visual estimation tool may improve accuracy in quantifying blood volumes related to surface spreading.

Methods: A prospective, paired-control, single-blinded experimental study was performed at a medical university. Anesthesiologists and emergency medical personnel estimated various blood volumes on surfaces with varying absorptivity (carpet, towel, polyvinyl chloride, wooden flooring) in an experimental setting. We assessed the sensitivity of training blood volume quantification using a self-designed visual estimation tool by comparing the accuracy of visual blood volume estimations before and after practical training with the tool.

Results: A total of 352 estimations by 44 participants were evaluated. Accurate estimations improved significantly from pre-training to post-training (P<0.05). The sensitivity of blood volume quantification was 33.0% after training with the visual estimation tool. Estimations did not depend on age, profession, gender or years of the estimator's professional experience.

Conclusions: Training with a visual estimation tool by professional rescuers can improve the estimation accuracy of blood volumes spread on surfaces with varying absorptivity.

Keywords: Academic training; Emergency medicine; Hemorrhage control; Major bleeding.