[Patient blood management--The preoperative patient].

Preoperative anaemia is an independent risk factor for an increase in perioperative morbidity and mortality. Patient Blood Management (PBM) aims for an early detection of anaemia in elective surgery patients. Reasons for anaemia should be detected and causally treated if possible. A multidisciplinary team of specialists aims for diagnosis and causative treatment of easily treatable and frequent causes of anaemia like iron deficiency, bleeding or (autoimmune) haemolysis using patients' specific history, examination, laboratory and technical methods. Such an outpatient PBM programme is only feasible, if anaesthesiologists, surgeons, haematologists, gastroenterologists, gynecologists, laboratory and transfusion medicine specialists work together in a PBM team using a common PBM plan. Communication within this team as well as with the patients' physicians in their private offices is key for a long lasting success of such a PBM programme.