Preoperative characteristics identify patients with hip fractures at risk of transfusion.

Routine cross-matching places substantial demands on limited blood resources. The primary objective of this study was to identify patients with hip fractures at risk of transfusion, which may allow implementation of a more selective cross-matching policy. We also sought to determine the hemoglobin level that triggered a transfusion, the rate of urgent (intraoperative) transfusions, and these patients' characteristics.