Elwood NR, et al. - The associations between perioperative blood transfusion and postoperative morbidity and mortality after major abdominal operations were tested. In this work, blood transfusion was associated with morbidity after 9 of 10 major abdominal operations studied and with mortality after 8 of 10 major abdominal operations studied. Findings thereby suggested an independent association of perioperative blood transfusion with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality after most major abdominal operations.