PATIENT INFORMATION
Anaemia
Anaemia means the haemoglobin level is lower than expected. Before surgery, the importance of anaemia depends on its severity, cause, symptoms, the amount of blood loss expected and the urgency of the operation.
For elective major surgery, finding and treating anaemia early may reduce avoidable transfusion and improve preparation. If anaemia is newly discovered, the team may investigate the cause rather than treating the laboratory number alone.