Doctors May Be Giving Patients Blood Transfusions Too Frequently.

The Baltimore Sun  (4/27, Cohn) "Picture of Health" blog reports, "Patients may be getting blood transfusions too often during surgery, according to a new study  " published in the journal Anesthesiology. The study found that patients who receive blood during surgery do not fare better than those who do not receive blood, and sometimes they may even fare worse. Investigators reported that "even with blood loss during surgery, if hemoglobin levels didn't fall below a certain point, a transfusion was usually unnecessary." The study authors, according to the blog entry, believe that many doctors lack clear guidelines regarding the appropriate times to administer a blood transfusion.