Haemodynamics, fluids & transfusion
Perioperative Anemia Development and Recovery in Adult Surgical Patients: An Observational Cohort Study
Authors' conclusion
Preoperative and postoperative anemia are highly prevalent, and anemia frequently persists for months after hospitalization. Older adults, women, and Black patients bear a disproportionate burden. Despite this, anemia evaluations and treatments remain underutilized. These findings highlight substantial opportunities for patient blood management (PBM) programs to improve perioperative anemia detection, optimization, and post-discharge management.
Study context
- Population
- Adults undergoing surgery at a large tertiary care medical center from August 2012 to July 2023patients undergoing 423,066 procedures (51.9% among women)
- Participants
- 281,217 adults
- Outcome
- Preoperative anemia prevalence (World Health Organization (WHO) definitions), among those with available preoperative hemoglobin assessments (n = 308,959)
- Follow-up
- Preoperative
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Overall, among those with available preoperative hemoglobin assessments
- 28.9%
- Men
- 29.5%
- Women
- 28.4%
- Women, gender-neutral anemia definition
- 51.0%
- Black patients
- 44.0%
- Patients ≥75 years
- 39.6%
- Spine surgery
- 18.6%
- Vascular surgery
- 45.8%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
New postoperative anemia among previously nonanemic patients admitted to the hospital postoperatively · postoperative hospitalization
- Overall, among previously nonanemic patients admitted postoperatively
- 76.9%
- Cardiac surgery (highest incidence)
- 97.5%
- Women experienced more severe postoperative anemia than men
Anemia at hospital discharge
- Patients anemic at hospital discharge
- 81.1%
Persistent anemia at 12 months
- Among those discharged with mild anemia
- 28.5%
- Among those discharged with moderate anemia
- 51.9%
- Among those discharged with severe anemia
- 66.3%
- Among patients nonanemic preoperatively who developed new postoperative anemia
- 29.3%
- Recovery was gradual and incomplete
Original publication
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