Inclusion criteria | Exclusion criteria |
---|---|
Participating hospitals | |
• Hospitals using EPO and/or blood salvage in patients undergoing primary elective THA or TKA on a regular basis (more frequently than in exceptional cases) | • Hospitals considering abandoning the use of EPO or blood salvage on their own initiative |
• Hospitals performing at least 50 THA and/or TKA on average per 5 months | • Hospitals participating in trials that interfere with the use or the discontinuation of EPO or blood salvage |
• Hospitals employing the same group of orthopaedic surgeons or anaesthesiologists as a previously included hospital | |
Patients | |
• Patients scheduled for primary elective THA or TKA | • Bilateral surgery |
• Age >18 years | • Patients with a malignancy (except skin cancer or cured cancers) |
• A serious disorder of the coronary, peripheral and/or carotid arteries, a recent myocardial infarction or CVA (past 6 months) | |
• Untreated hypertension (diastolic BP >95 mmHg) | |
• Patients with a pregnancy | |
• Patients with a coagulation disorder | |
• Patients refusing or with a contraindication for allogeneic blood transfusions | |
• Patients with untreated anaemia Hb <10 g/dl |