Evaluation of a Blood Reserve Protocol for Hip Fracture Surgery in the Elderly.

 To identify the predictive factors for the need for transfusion during and after surgery to treat hip fractures in the elderly and to evaluate a protocol to guide the request for blood reserves for surgery.  The medical records of 172 elderly patients undergoing surgical treatment for proximal femoral fractures were collected. Data on sex, age, preoperative hemoglobin level, diagnosis, and type of surgery were tested for correlation with blood transfusion.