Trends in transfusion rates after the FOCUS trial

AIM: We estimate the impact of the FOCUS trial, which concluded that hip surgery patients with hemoglobin values above 8 g/dl do not benefit from routine transfusions, on transfusion rates. METHODS: We evaluated trends in transfusion rates using inpatient discharge data from four states. RESULTS: The transfusion rate was 5.2 percentage points lower in the fourth quarter of 2013 than it would have been had pre-FOCUS trends continued. Transfusion rates declined more in hospitals with a low end-of-life treatment intensity index, a general measure of treatment intensity. CONCLUSION: The FOCUS trial affected practice, but there are additional opportunities to reduce the use of transfusions.