Thread: Hemoglobin of 6

My sister had an esophagectomy on June 25 at Jax Baptist Medical and although the surgery was a bloodless success, she has yet to wake up and move from ICU. She has had respiratory issues and now her hemaglobin is down to 6 and no one knows why. What could be the cause and what should we do proactively?

They should be searching tirelessly to find out if she is activly bleeding. If that has been done then possibly she is septic. Infections are very common. If this is not the case then check how many and what quantity of blood draws are being made. Iatrogenic Anemia (hospital caused) can be a real possibility. Ask them if they have an I-Stat bedside testor. Two drops of blood will run a blood panel. Do they have her on a blood building program?
Epo, Iron, Folic Acid and B-12? If all this is being done and her Hg is still dropping then she muct be actively bleeding. A shot of NovoSeven will stop the bleeding.

PS: Look other places besides the area of the operation, it could be a problem not related to the operation. Is she on blood thinners? Does she bruise easily? Have they checked her stool for blood?

Originally Posted by jlmahan

My sister had an esophagectomy on June 25 at Jax Baptist Medical and although the surgery was a bloodless success, she has yet to wake up and move from ICU. She has had respiratory issues and now her hemaglobin is down to 6 and no one knows why. What could be the cause and what should we do proactively?

If she is still on a ventilator they are probably keeping her sedated.

jlmahan, I think the internal bleeding may be the reason. or the excessive bleeding during the operation may lead her to this condition. & as long as I know the hemoglobin less then 6 is life threatening. so I think the blood transfusion may be a quickest solution for her. however some time blood transfusion draw other blood related disease. so i will suggest you to consult with some real good doctors.

Originally Posted by barita_lola

...as long as I know the hemoglobin less then 6 is life threatening. so I think the blood transfusion may be a quickest solution for her....

Hemoglobin less than 6 will not be life threatening per se, but it is low and could cause harm. Uneeded blood transfusion are harmfull. If a patient consent to blood transfusion an hemoglobin less than 6 would generall be considered as an transfusion trigger, but in this case I suppose that blood transfusion are not an viable alternative due to her faith.

In a case like hers you can trust that her surgeon to do whats possible to find the cause of her anemia and to give her the right treathment.

This kind of surgery is extra major and there a substansial risk for a number of serious complications.

I would have her tested for anemia and or porphyria -- porphyria is a kidney disease - it runs in my family and I may have it also. I have a hemoglobin of 6 and my urine has blood and protein in it -- more than it needs in it. I was told by my regular doctor that I needed to see a kidney specialist...