SUMMARY

A substantial proportion of patients in the United States consider the administration of an allogeneic blood transfusion to have a bad outcome. Autologous transfusion regimens are reported to decrease allogeneic transfusion requirements in surgical patients, but the cost-effectiveness of all of these techniques remains in question. Further research to define the indications for, and limitations of, each autologous technique is needed. Clinical trials that evaluate combinations of several blood conservation techniques may be necessary if the goal is to eliminate the need for allogeneic blood transfusions in the future.