The study was led by Jeffrey L. Carson, MD, at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J. The study examined 2,000 high-risk patients with underlying cardiovascular disease or other factors after hip surgery. The patients also had hemoglobin levels below 10 grams per deciliter. The patients were randomly assigned to liberal transfusion or a restrictive transfusion strategy.
At 20 and 60 days postoperatively, there was no difference between the groups in the patients’ ability to walk independently, rate of death or heart attacks. As a result, the study authors recommend using the restrictive transfusion approach.
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