SvO2 Trigger in Transfusion Strategy After Cardiac Surgery

Current international guidelines suggest a restrictive transfusion strategy, setting that Hb level at 7 g/dl is a reasonable threshold. However, the idea of having only one threshold for all the patients has been challenged by authors, suggesting a more liberal strategy for certain cases. At the moment, there is no other parameter considered accurate enough to be taken into consideration for transfusion strategy management. This study is to use ScVO2, a current, easily accessible parameter, before blood transfusion in order to stratify its indication after cardiac surgery. Monocentric, randomised, single blind study (patient not aware of the group assignments) Patient inclusion will be made in ICU if the physician decides to perform blood transfusion according to standard transfusion strategy to treat a postoperative anemia (Hb\

Inclusion Criteria: * Age over 18 years * Patients admitted to intensive care after heart surgery * Anemic patient (Hb \< 9 g/dL) * Patient with a central venous catheter in the territory SVC Exclusion Criteria: * Patient with acute bleeding defined as a postoperative bleeding over 1000 ml in 12 hours or the need for a recovery operation for hemostasis or the transfusion of blood units over 4 * Patient with severe sepsis or septic shock criteria defined by the Surviving Sepsis compaign