Until the 1980s, liberal blood transfusion criteria with limited evidence were used regardless of the patient's clinical condition. However, blood transfusion products are associated with several risks, such as infection, acute lung injury, circulatory overload, and hemolytic transfusion reactions. More restrictive transfusion criteria and patient monitoring can decrease the need for transfusions, as well as decrease morbidity and mortality rates and costs. The national supply of blood products continues to decline with more stringent blood donor criteria. Preoperative autologous blood donation has fallen out of favor in patients without antibodies to high-incidence antigens because of increased rates of transfusion, waste of predonated units, and significant costs. Instead, preoperative erythropoietin plus iron therapy in patients who are at high risk of postoperative anemia as well as intraoperative techniques, such as use of antifibrinolytics and cell salvage, can prevent the need for allogeneic blood transfusion. Artificial blood products remain problematic and are not used in the United States.
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