EBL

Medical abbreviation · Surgical

EBL stands for Estimated blood loss, a surgical abbreviation.

The surgical and anesthesia team's estimate of how much blood a patient lost during an operation or delivery, recorded in milliliters in the operative note. It guides fluid and transfusion decisions and is a standard element of every operative report.

Example: EBL 150 mL; no transfusion required; patient to PACU in stable condition.

Usage notes

Visual estimates of blood on sponges, drapes and suction canisters are notoriously inaccurate and tend to underestimate large losses, so obstetric units increasingly use quantitative blood loss (QBL) measured by weighing materials. "EBL minimal" usually means less than about 50 mL. Massive bleeding protocols are triggered by ongoing hemorrhage and vital signs rather than the EBL figure alone.

Related abbreviations

More surgical abbreviations

• BMT – Bilateral myringotomy and tubes
• Circ – Circumcision
• CTR – Carpal tunnel release
• Cysto – Cystoscopy
• DIEP – Deep inferior epigastric perforator (flap)
• DOS – Day of surgery
• ERAS – Enhanced recovery after surgery
• EUA – Examination under anesthesia
• Ex lap – Exploratory laparotomy
• Ex-fix – External fixator
• Fem-pop – Femoral-popliteal (bypass)
• FESS – Functional endoscopic sinus surgery

See all 51 surgical abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.