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Blood transfusion thresholds tested to save elderly surgical patients

NCT ID NCT03369210

Completed Disease control Sponsor: Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jul 07, 2026 · Last updated Jul 22, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This study tests whether giving blood transfusions more liberally (when hemoglobin drops to 9 g/dL) versus more restrictively (when it drops to 7.5 g/dL) reduces death and serious complications like heart attack, stroke, or kidney injury in patients aged 70 and older undergoing non-cardiac surgery. The trial randomly assigns participants to one of the two transfusion strategies and follows them for 90 days after surgery. The goal is to find the safest approach for managing anemia in this vulnerable population.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
red blood cell transfusion
What this could lead to
If liberal transfusion proves superior, it could establish a new standard for managing anemia in elderly surgical patients, potentially reducing deaths and complications.
What could go wrong
The trial is large but results may not apply to all surgeries or hospitals. Liberal transfusion carries risks like fluid overload or transfusion reactions.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anemia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

ANEMIA SURGERY TRANSFUSION-DEPENDENT ANEMIA

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Berlin Charite CCM

    Berlin, Germany

  • Charite Berlin CBF

    Berlin, Germany

  • Klinikum Dortmund

    Dortmund, Germany

  • St. Franziskus Hospital Münster

    Münster, Germany

  • University Hospital Augsburg

    Augsburg, Germany

  • University Hospital Bonn

    Bonn, Germany

  • University Hospital Frankfurt

    Frankfurt, Germany

  • University Hospital Giessen

    Giessen, Germany

  • University Hospital Greifswald

    Greifswald, Germany

  • University Hospital Hamburg

    Hamburg, Germany

  • University Hospital Jena

    Jena, Germany

  • University Hospital Mainz

    Mainz, Germany

  • University Hospital Münster

    Münster, Germany

  • University Hospital RWTH

    Aachen, Germany

  • University Hospital Regensburg

    Regensburg, Germany

  • University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein

    Kiel, Germany

  • University Hospital Würzburg

    Würzburg, 97080, Germany

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