Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Preoperative Anemia and Perioperative Outcomes in Children: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Associations in an Australian Cohort
Authors' conclusion
Preoperative anemia affects one in five children undergoing major surgery in this Australian cohort and is independently associated with red cell transfusion and postoperative infection.
Study context
- Population
- Children undergoing major surgery at an Australian tertiary children's hospital with a hemoglobin measurement within 3 months prior to surgeryof 786 eligible
- Participants
- 582 children
- Exposure
- Preoperative anemia vs no anemia
- Anemian = 123
- Outcome
- Prevalence of preoperative anemia
Methodological detailssingle-centre, Missing preoperative hemoglobin data may bias estimates toward higher risk patients
- Single-centre
- Missing preoperative hemoglobin data may bias estimates toward higher risk patients
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Anemia
21.1%
123
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | aOR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Red cell transfusionMultivariable analysis | 2.77 (1.74–4.41) | |
| Postoperative infectionMultivariable analysis | 1.89 (1.15–3.09) | |
| 0.20.5125Adjusted odds ratio (log scale) |
Factors associated with anemia
- Anemia more common in females, higher ASA classification, emergency surgery, and chronic comorbidities
Other postoperative outcomes
- Not significantly associated with preoperative anemia
Anemia in elective surgical patients (subgroup)
- Anemia remained common in elective surgical patients
Original publication
Preoperative Anemia and Perioperative Outcomes in Children: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Associations in an Australian Cohort. Paediatr Anaesth. Published 13 June 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →