Table 2 Characteristics of patients who received blood transfusions and those who did not

no. of patients

68

747

Age (Mean ± S.D.)

78.8 ± 11.0

74.6 ± 16.0

0.03

Female n (%)

36(52.9)

360(48.1)

0.45

CHF

21(30.8)

260(34.8)

0.51

IHD

24(35.2)

308(41.2)

0.34

Diabetes mellitus

28(41.1)

260(34.8)

0.29

CKD

24(35.2)

205(27.4)

0.16

Chronic dialysis

2(2.9)

19(2.5)

0.84

Active cancer

23(33.8)

147(19.6)

0.006

Terminal disease

13(19.1)

68(9.1)

0.0083

 Severe sepsis

6(8.8)

68(9.1)

0.66

 Septic shock

6(8.8)

37(4.9)

acute myocardial infarction

2(2.9)

29(3.9)

0.69

Acute respiratory failure

1(1.4)

9(1.2)

0.84

CHF exacerbation

4(5.8)

27(3.6)

0.34

HGB on admission

9.25 ± 1.91

11.73 ± 1.92

<0.0001

Minimal HGB

7.86 ± 1.16

10.68 ± 1.77

<0.0001

HGB on day 7

9.72 ± 1.36

11.38 ± 1.79

<.0001

Time from admission to minimal HGB (days)

2.30 ± 1.36

2.18 ± 1.79

0.9821

ΔHGB (admission-minimal HGB);

1.39 ± 1.44

1.06 ± 0.99

0.0127