Table 1.

RBC transfusions by patient classification (all absolute numbers refer to the number of transfused RBCs)

	Surgical patients	Critically ill / emergency patients	Medical patients	Other*	Total
Absolute number of transfusions and percentage by patient classification
2005	33,530	23,432	35,734	2,759	95,455
	35.1%	24.6%	37.4%	2.9%
2010	33,249	26,137	34,616	1,198	95,200
	34.9%	27.4%	36.4%	1.3%
2015	27,573	21,653	32,431	934	82,591
	33.4%	26.2%	39.3%	1.1%
RBCs transfused to patients ≥65 years
2005	21,549	13,417	23,172	1,178	59,316
	64.3%	57.3%	64.8%	42.7%	62.1%
2010	22,874	16,488	23,428	271	63,061
	68.8%	63.1%	67.7%	22.6%	66.2%
2015	17,941	13,078	20,693	15	51,727
	65.1%	60.4%	63.8%	1.6%	62.6%
Absolute reduction of RBC from 2005 to 2015 by patient classification (RBCs of a single patient category in the year 2005 correspond to 100%)	−5,957 −17.8%	−1,779 −7.6%	−3,303 −9.2%	−1,825 −66.1%	−12,864 −13.5%
Amount of RBC transfusion demand reduction according to patients classification in % of overall reduction (overall reduction of 12,864 RBCs corresponds to 100%)	−46.3%	−13.8%	−25.7%	−14.2%

^*Pediatric and non-classifiable patients.