Evaluation of the Hemoglobin Concentration in Drainage Fluid After Surgery by Absorbance Spectrophotometry Using an Optical Sensor

A drain is often placed in the abdominal cavity for postoperative monitoring and early detection of complications such as rebleeding and pancreatic or bile leaks. Since determining the color of the drainage fluid is subjective, an objective method of judging color is needed.The hemoglobin concentration of the drainage fluid after gastrointestinal surgery was measured using the Hemato Check Module, a newly developed instrument capable of absorbance analysis with an optical sensor. The correlation between the results and those measured by an existing blood count measuring device (XN3000) was investigated.A total of 215 specimens were analyzed in 43 patients. For the correlation analysis, there was a strong positive correlation with a correlation coefficient of 0.884 (P < 0.001). The Hemato Check Module showed a clear proportional error compared to the XN3000.The Hemato Check Module was a convenient and accurate instrument for measuring hemoglobin concentration in waste fluid to determine the presence of blood.