[Transfusion medicine: does treatment of anemia reduce costs to the national health system?].

Preoprative Anaemia is an independent risk factor in perioperative medicine. Furthermore, preoperative anaemia is associated with higher treatment costs and remains the main risk factor for the transfusion of packed red blood cells. However, transfusion of packed red blood cells is although life-saving in conditions of acute anaemia associated with higher mortality, morbidity and postoperative complications. The preoperative treatment of anaemia has been shown to improve postoperative outcome and transfusion requirements. Treatment of anemia as one pillar of patient blood management bears the potential to reduce costs to the national health system by prevention of complications and transfusion-associated morbidity. The economic impact of the treatment of preoperative anaemia versus the treatment with blood products requires prospective evaluation. © Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York.