Management of Blood Loss in Maxillofacial Trauma

Resuscitation of a severely traumatised patient with the administration of crystalloids, or colloids along with blood products is a common transfusion practice in trauma patients. The determination of this review article is to update on current transfusion practices in trauma. Exsanguination is an underestimated cause of treatment failures in patients with severe trauma or undergoing surgery. Trauma induced consumption and dilution of clotting factors, acidosis and hypothermia in a severely injured patient commonly causes trauma-induced coagulopathy. Early infusion of blood products and early control of bleeding decreases trauma-induced coagulopathy. Early recognition that the patient will need massive blood transfusion will limit the use of crystalloids. Massive transfusion protocols improve survival in severely injured patients. In a trauma patient with life threatening injuries, treating it in 1: 1: 1 ratio, with thawed plasma, PRBCs, and platelets, limited use of crystalloids and rapid haemorrhage control will improve management.