Preoperative anemia and its management.

The WHO defines anemia as 13 g/dl in males, 12 g/dl in non-pregnant women, and 11 g/dl in pregnant women. Anemia is prevalent in various patient populations. The detrimental affect of anemia is present in all of this population of patients. Preoperative anemia is associated with perioperative increased perioperative morbidity and mortality and increased risks of blood transfusion, a standardized approach for the detection, evaluation, and management of anemia is needed.