The Lancet
Systematic review of EPO use in elective surgery showing a significant reduction in allogeneic transfusion exposure. Preoperative EPO raises hemoglobin levels, building a safety margin before surgical blood loss. Cornerstone evidence for the first pillar of PBM.
Perioperative EPO reduced the proportion of patients exposed to allogeneic blood transfusion, with a pooled odds ratio of 0.36 (95% CI 0.28–0.62).