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Accurate and timely diagnostic information is a vital adjunct to clinical assessment to inform therapeutic decision-making, including decisions to transfuse, or not transfuse, blood components. A prospective cohort study of diagnostic point-of-care (POC) haemoglobin measurements on arterial or central venous samples from adults undergoing major noncardiac surgery compared three widely used devices, HemoCue®, i-STAT™, and the Rad-67™ pulse CO-Oxymeter® finger sensor device, against standard laboratory haemoglobin measurements, but importantly not against a blood gas analyser. ⋯ However, results from the HemoCue® had the lowest likelihood to lead to inappropriate red cell transfusion. Clinicians should be aware of the patient, sample, and device factors that can influence the accuracy of POC haemoglobin testing results.