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Restricting transfusions to patients undergoing hip fracture or cardiac surgery is associated with no greater morbidity or mortality than a more liberal transfusion strategy (NEJM JW Oncol Hematol May 2015 and Lancet 2015; 385:1183; N Engl J Med 2015; 372:997). But whether perioperative transfusions might actually be detrimental is uncertain.
To examine patient outcomes after transfusions of as little as a single unit of blood given within 48 hours of surgery, investigators analyzed data from the Premier Perspective dataset that captures 20% of all acute-care U.S. hospital discharges. The procedures examined were mainly orthopedic, general, spine, and gynecological surgeries. Transfusions had been given to 41,421 of 1,542,398 (2.6%) of patie…