Table 4.

Bleeding

Life-threatening or disabling bleeding

Fatal bleeding OR

Bleeding in a critical area or organ, such as intracranial, intraspinal, intraocular, or pericardial necessitating pericardiocentesis, or intramuscular with compartment syndrome OR

Bleeding causing hypovolemic shock or severe hypotension requiring vasopressors or surgery OR

Overt source of bleeding with drop in haemoglobin of ≥5 g/dL or whole blood or packed red blood cells (RBCs) transfusion ≥4 unitsa

Major bleeding

Overt bleeding either associated with a drop in the haemoglobin level of at least 3.0 g/dL or requiring transfusion of two or three units of whole blood/RBC AND

Does not meet criteria of life-threatening or disabling bleeding

Minor Bleeding

Any bleeding worthy of clinical mention (e.g. access site haematoma) that does not qualify as life-threatening, disabling or major

^aGiven one unit of packed RBC typically will raise blood haemoglobin concentration by 1 g/dL, an estimated decrease in haemoglobin will be calculated.