Suggest Remedy For Low Hemoglobin Count After Hip Surgery

Posted on Fri, 18 Sep 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 19 Sep 2015 Answered on

Fri, 9 Oct 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : My 97 yr. old mother had hip surgery, will not take blood, her hemoglobin is 8.2. What can be done to keep it from falling further.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Muhammad Sareer Khalil (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
No substitute for blood transfusion

Detailed Answer:
Hello and Welcome

I appreciate your concern

There is no substitute or alternative for blood transfusion. Cause for the fall in Hb needs to be determined. Peripheral smear, stool examination for occult blood, reticulocyte count should be done. Further management would depend upon the findings in these investigations. If the fall in Hb was not acute i.e it did not fall from 12 to 8 and she is not symptomatic e.g there is no shortness of breath, confusion then most likely she will be able to tolerate a minor fall in Hb. However , if there is a further fall or the above symptoms appear then packed cell rbcs transfusion would be required.

Wishing you best of health

Thanks

Please consult your doctor before deciding on any further course of action.

For future follow up / correspondence you may ask me directly at the link given below

http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=68107

Dr. M.S. Khalil

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar