Table I.

Characteristics of patients receiving and not receiving preoperative blood transfusion

	Preoperative transfusion
Characteristic, %	No (n = 58,712), 96.6%	Yes (n = 2,073), 3.4%	X2 P value
	Female	53	49	.002
Age, y			<.001
<65	55	34
65–79	33	39
80+	12	27
Body mass index			<.001
<18.5	3.2	5.3
18.5–24.9	31	35
25–29.9	33	30
30–34.9	20	16
35+	14	13
ASA class 3 or 4	55	86	<.001
Emergency case	15	40	<.001
Indication			<.001
Cancer	38	41
Diverticulitis	23	9.8
Polyp	8.6	1.0
Inflammatory bowel disease	8.0	7.6
Bleeding	0.5	18
Volvulus	2.8	1.3
Other	20	21
Operative approach			<.001
Open	40	65
Minimally invasive	52	29
Converted	7.9	6.5
Sepsis	6.1	11	<.001
Septic shock	1.8	8.0	<.001
Hematocrit			<.001
≥36	67	6.3
30–35.9	24	31
24–29.9	8.8	46
<24	0.8	16
Chemotherapy within 90 d	5.5	4.9	.375
Diabetes	15	22	<.001
Current smoker	17	14	<.001
Dyspnea	6.9	14	<.001
Dependent functional status	3.3	9.4	<.001
Ventilator-dependent	0.8	6.6	<.001
COPD	5.5	10	<.001
Ascites	1.0	4.0	<.001
Congestive heart failure	1.0	5.4	<.001
Hypertension	49	63	<.001
Acute renal failure	0.6	3.5	<.001
Dialysis-dependent	1.0	5.5	<.001
Disseminated cancer	6.4	11	<.001
Open wound/wound infection	2.0	6.5	<.001
Steroid use	9.5	14	<.001
>10% weight loss in past 6 mo	5.0	11	<.001
Coagulopathy	4.6	19	<.001
Intra/postoperative transfusion	11	48	<.001
Operative time, min			<.001
<60	3.9	5.5
60–119	26	33
120–179	32	33
180+	38	29

COPD, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Missing data: approach (n = 50, 0.1%), body mass index (n = 1,100, 1.8%), functional status (n = 273, 0.4%), operative time (n = 16, <0.1%).