Aims. Currently, there is little information about the need for peri-operative
blood transfusion in patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty. . The purpose of this study was to identify the rate of transfusion
and its predisposing factors, and to establish a blood conservation
strategy. . Methods. We identified all patients who had undergone shoulder arthroplasty
at our hospital between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2013. The
rate of transfusion was determined from the patient’s records. While
there were exceptions, patients typically underwent transfusion
if they had a level of haemoglobin of <
7.5 g/dl if asymptomatic,
<
9.0 g/dl if they had a significant cardiac history or symptoms
of