Table 1 In- and exclusion criteria for participating hospitals and patients

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