Restrictive or Liberal Red-Cell Transfusion for Cardiac Surgery [1]
This randomized trial evaluated restricted (threshold of Hgb <7.5 at induction of anesthesia ) versus liberal (Hgb <9.5 at induction of anesthesia or <8.5 on arrival in ICU) for patients undergoing cardiac surgery who had a EuroSCORE of 6 or more. The composite outcome was death, MI, stroke, or new onset renal failure. Transfusion occurred in 52% of the restricted group and 73% of the liberal group. Outcomes were similar between these moderate-to-high risk groups.