Nearly 20% of blood transfusions in the United States are given to in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Despite the many blood conservation techniques that are available, safe, and efficacious for patients, many of these operations continue to be associated with significant amounts of blood usage. We believe that transfusion protocols which employ specific guidelines for transfusion can decrease blood product usage and improve outcomes for patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Our goal is to demonstrate that a carefully chosen trigger can achieve better outcomes.