Can maximum surgical blood order schedule be used as a predictor of successful completion of bloodless surgery?

The authors demonstrate that a locally defined and regularly updated maximum surgical blood order schedule (MSBOS) stricly correlates with postoperative hemoglobin reduction, blood loss, the probability of undergoing bloodless surgery, and mortality (at least in patients who refuse blood transfusion). The results of the study, however, do not add any relevant information on the well-known role of MSBOS as an effective predictor of transfusion requirements.

– Giovanni Inghilleri