Measurement of Blood Loss by Means of a Whole-body Counter

Abstract

A method is described for the measurement of blood loss over periods of up to three months by means of 59Fe and a whole-body counter. Patients with polycythaemia from whom known quantities of blood were removed by venesection were studied to evaluate this technique. The method is sensitive and accurate enough for clinical purposes, and blood loss of more than 700 ml. can be measured with reproducibility of ±14%. To illustrate its application to clinical problems, studies of five cases of hypochromic anaemia are described. © 1967, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.