Allogeneic blood transfusion, hospital charges, and length of hospitalization: a study of 487 consecutive patients undergoing colorectal cancer resection.

Abstract

Allogeneic transfusion was independently associated with longer hospital stays and higher hospital charges. This association may be due to a relationship between allogeneic transfusion and a higher incidence of septic complications of surgery or may reflect the function of blood transfusion as a surrogate marker for severity of illness.