Table 1.

Exclusion criteria for participation of hospitals and patients

Hospitals

Patients

- Hospitals considering to abandon the use of EPO or blood salvage on their own initiative - Hospitals participating in trials that interfere with the use or the discontinuation of EPO or blood salvage - Hospitals in which orthopedic surgeons or anesthesiologists are employed who are also employed at another participating hospital or hospitals with partnerships with another participating hospital - Hospitals that perform less than 50 THA or TKA within 5 months

- Bilateral surgery - Revision surgery - 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 anemia, Hb <10 g/dl