Leaving a mark: the frequency and accuracy of tattooing prior to laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

Aim: Intra-operative localization of small cancers and polyps during laparoscopic colorectal surgery is difficult due to reduced tactile feedback. The consequences of failing to identify the lesion for resection can result in open conversion or removal of the wrong segment of bowel.

Method: Data were collected from a prospectively-kept database over a 12-month period from April 2008 to March 2009 and analysed retrospectively.

Anemia during and at discharge from intensive care: the impact of restrictive blood transfusion practice.

Objective: To document the prevalence of anemia among patients admitted to intensive care (ICU) and, among survivors, at ICU discharge when restrictive transfusion practice was used.

Design: This was an observational cohort study.

Setting: Ten of the 26 general ICUs in Scotland.

Prevalence of ischaemic heart disease at admission to intensive care and its influence on red cell transfusion thresholds: multicentre Scottish Study.

Background: Restrictive transfusion triggers are safe for most critically ill patients, but doubts exist for patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD). We investigated the prevalence of reported IHD at admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and investigated how this influenced red cell transfusion triggers. We also compared observed practice with the clinicians' responses to clinical scenarios.

Red cell requirements for intensive care units adhering to evidence-based transfusion guidelines.

Background: Anemia commonly complicates critical illness. Restrictive transfusion triggers are appropriate in this setting, but no large studies have measured red cell (RBC) requirements for intensive care patients when evidence-based transfusion guidelines are followed consistently.

Study Design And Methods: Data were recorded daily for 1023 of 1042 sequential admissions to 10 intensive care units (ICUs) over 100 days.