Anaemic cardiac surgery patients are at greater risk of intraoperative red blood cell transfusion. This study questions the application of the World Health Organization population-based anaemia thresholds (haemoglobin <120 g L⁻¹ in non-pregnant females and <130 g L⁻¹ in males) as appropriate preoperative optimisation targets for cardiac surgery.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on adults ≥18 yr old undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Logistic regression was applied to define sex-specific preoperative haemoglobin concentrations with reduced probability of intraoperative red blood cell transfusion for cardiac surgery patients.

Data on 4384 male and 1676 female patients were analysed. Binarily stratified multivariable logistic regression odds of receiving intraoperative red blood cell transfusion increased in cardiac surgery patients >45 yr old (odds ratio [OR] 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33–2.55), surgery urgency <30 days (OR 2.03; 95% CI 1.66–2.48), combined coronary artery bypass grafting and valve surgery, or other surgery types (OR 2.24; 95% CI 1.87–2.67), and female sex (OR 1.92; 95% CI 1.62–2.28). The odds decreased by 8.4% with each 1 g L⁻¹ increase in preoperative haemoglobin (OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.91–0.92). Logistic regression predicted females required a preoperative haemoglobin concentration of 133 g L⁻¹ and males 127 g L⁻¹ to have a 15% probability of intraoperative transfusion.

The World Health Organization female anaemia threshold of haemoglobin <120 g L⁻¹ disproportionately disadvantages female cardiac surgery patients. A preoperative haemoglobin concentration ≥130 g L⁻¹ in adult cardiac surgery patients would minimise their overall probability of intraoperative red blood cell transfusion to <15%.