My grandpa broke his leg and now needs surgery. The hospital gave him a blood transfusion, why?

Question

My grandfather is in is 80's he fell and broke his leg this week. The tibia to be exact. The doctors say he needs to have sugery to put a metal plate in his leg to help strengthen it. My grandpa is is good health otherwise. He's not sick or dying or anything like that. the bone didn't break the skin so why are the doctors fiving him a blood transfusion? When he asked them all they said was " IT HAPPENS" and that he had a low blood count. What the hell kind of answer is that! Why would he have a low blood count if he's not bleeding from anywhere? Thye aren't giving him any answers. Is there something going on that the doctors aren't telling us? Is there a good reason for them to be doing a blood transfusion and al the other tests they've been doing if it really is just a broken leg? For some reason I think we're not being told everything. Please give any information you have as to why they would be giving him a transfusion for a broken leg.

Answer 1

it is not at all uncommon for the elderly to become anemic and need a blood transfusion. As their old blood cells die and are removed by the liver, their old bones don't always produce new cells as quickly as they used to. Thus the doctors told you "it happens". As for doing all the other tests, that too is standard, for breaking a bone, especially in the elderly can lead to other problems with clotting factors, potential infections and so on, those tests give them a baseline on your grandfather so that if something changes in the course of his recovery, they can more quickly spot and treat any problem that arises. It sounds like your grandfather is getting the very best of care possible. And of course, if he is going to have surgery to have that plate attached to his tibia to make it stronger, they will want his blood counts up as much as possible because he will no doubt lose some blood during the surgery, that is unavoidable. Don't worry, they are not keeping anything from you, it's just that doctors do not always take the time required to explain everything they are doing in detail.

Answer 2

I am not a health care provider for pets, but is this a big or small dog? Did the break occur near a growth plate? I guess they are trying to say that it won't heal unless a surgeon puts a plate in or something. Is it fractured in a lot of pieces and needs pinning? I really don't understand. Can you call other vets in town and see if you can get someone to work with you? What about a university that trains vets--can they help? You will probably need some reports and the xray from the emergency vet place so that the people you talk to can properly evaluate the case. As a last resort, they can take the leg off. I know this sounds terrible, but dogs do really well with 3 legs.

Answer 3

When my son was 24, he broke his leg. He broke his femur tho, not his Tib. He lost an incredible amount of blood into his thigh, and had to have a blood transfusion also. The Dr's couldn't do the surgery until his total blood count was up. Just because the bone didn't pierce the skin, doesn't mean there wasn't any bleeding. Maybe he had alot of bleeding inside his leg. Was his leg super swollen, and bruised?
Hope this helps you.

Answer 4

He could have had internal bleeding. He is eighty plus years old and may not producing blood the way he used to. Blood is manufactured in the bones so he might have need to help with production. He may had weak bones indicated by the addition of a plate instead of letting the bone heal on its own wich is very difficult in an older patient.

there is also the possibility that they are anwering your grandfather's answers and not yours. There may be more going on but your grandfather does not want the family to worry. If there is more going on he may opt for not treating it. The HIPA statutes required that a person's medical information be private, even among family members unless the patient gives consent for information to be known. This is his decision not yours. This could be very hard but all you can do is listen to your grandfather and support him. It is up to him to tell you what is going on.

Whether there is something else going on or not. Enjoy your time with your grandfather. He is in his eighties. You will loose him. Embrace the time you have, not only with him but with all your loved ones. We never know how much time we really have.

Answer 5

As an RN I think I should answer this one. Yes..older individuals may typically have lower blood counts and need to be prepared for the OR by receiving transfusions. However you should know that a broken tibia can in itself result in blood loss of 500 to 1000 mls (1/2 to 1 liter of blood). This is why they transfused him prior to surgery. The surgeon or ED physician or the nurses taking care of your grandfather should have explained this to him. Please take care and wish your grandfather a speedy recovery from me!

Answer 6

Elderly people sometimes have a low red blood cell count, it isn't enough to make them sick in the normal course of things, but for surgery they like to have a higher red blood cell count, (hemocrit). That way, any blood he loses during surgery won't affect him or make him weak and dizzy when he gets out. When anyone goes into the hospital they give you dozens of blood tests, EKGs and just about anything else they can think of before surgery. They are so careful that its really reassuring to know that they check things out before they operate.

Answer 7

i think he may be given a blood transfusion because he is in his 80's and had a major injury. it really is better to be safe then sorry, and you shouldn't worry about it. if your grandpa is healthy now or is on the road to recovery, they probably did the right thing. hope he recovers quickly!

Answer 8

one needs blood to heal most parts of the body. aswel as during /beore surgery there is a chance of loosing blood. with olderfolks especiially, who reproduce blood less fast after losing it, it is done as a safetyprecaution.

if there was however no surgery it would be weird. a lwo bloodcount can be caused by a lot of things. and is common in older people. wether he truely needed the blood i would not be able to tell, i wasnt there.

Answer 9

I THINK THERE IS MORE TO IT THAN JUST A BROKEN LEG MOST PROB HE'S GOT LOW BLOOD COUNT.HIS BLOOD LEVEL HAS BEEN LOW & HE NEEDS MORE BLOOD!

Answer 10

Seek legal counsel. Hire a lawyer as soon as possible.