Vox sanguinis
-
The benefits and indications for blood transfusion among surgical patients are controversial. There is evidence which suggests that blood transfusion is associated with poor clinical outcomes and risks of infection, but there are few data in the elderly population. ⋯ Among an elderly population with hip fracture, blood transfusion was not associated with changes in mortality, but was associated with an increased rate of postoperative infection. These data add to the wider literature about adverse clinical outcomes in patients receiving blood transfusions and emphasises the need for prospective trials to evaluate the role of transfusion in the elderly.