Table 2 Patient characteristics and outcomes in intervention and control groups at baseline (unadjusted)

Joint, % knee

417 (45%)

485 (47%)

0.50

Age, years

69.3 (SD 10.0)

70.1 (SD 9.5)

0.053

Gender, % female

616 (67%)

708 (68%)

0.51

BMI, kg/m²

28.6 (SD 4.8)

28.7 (SD 4.9)

0.68

Smoking, %

128 (10%)

90 (13%)

0.047

Physical status classification^a

0.001

• % ASA 1

164 (18%)

201 (20%)

• % ASA 2

631 (71%)

653 (64%)

• % ASA 3–4

97 (11%)

170 (17%)

Preoperative Hb, g/dl

13.8 (SD 1.2)

13.8 (SD 1.2)

0.30

Use of LIA, %

184 (20%)

221 (21%)

0.54

Use of TXA, %

213 (24%)

190 (18%)

0.001

Type of anesthesia, % general anesthesia

302 (33%)

295 (28%)

0.038

Use of blood salvage

275 (30%)

556 (54%)

<0.001

Use of EPO (in EPO eligible patients)

62 (29%)

132 (51%)

<0.001

Postoperative Hb, g/dl

11.2 (SD 1.4)

11.2 (SD 1.4)

0.40

Length of stay

4.2 (SD 2.9)

3.8 (SD 1.8)

<0.001

Allogeneic transfusion, %

79 (8.5%)

62 (6.0%)

0.027

Number of RBC units transfused (in transfused patients)

2.5 (SD 1.44)

2.2 (SD 0.87)

0.093