Ranucci M, Pavesi M, Pistuddi V, et al. - As preoperative anemia is identified as a risk factor for transfusions, morbidity, and mortality in cardiac surgery, researchers here examined if an anemia intervention strategy before cardiac surgery could reduce red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. In this retrospective, propensity-matched study, 228 adult cardiac surgery patients were included. Patients in the treated group received an anemia correction treatment including ferric carboxymaltose and/or erythropoietin based on the anemia diagnosis (absolute sideropenic, functional sideropenic, anemia of chronic disease). Treatment was single shot, at a median of 13 preoperative days (interquartile range, 9-17 days). The control group patients were selected by propensity matching and did not receive any treatment. Per outcomes, there was a reduction in both the RBC transfusion rate and the amount of units transfused in correlation with anemia correction before cardiac surgery. Further, there were significantly lower chest drain output, postoperative low cardiac output rate, and shorter intensive care and hospital stay among patients in the treated group.