[Clinical-chemical testing on admission to Odense Hospital]

The use of laboratory screening on admission (i.e. laboratory tests which are always requested on admission of all of the patients to the department) was investigated at Odense University Hospital. Nursing sisters were interviewed about the current practices at their departments and consultants replied to a questionnaire about their attitudes to laboratory screening on admission. Screening on admission consisted of from 0 to 24 analyses. 90% of the consultants considered that screening on admission saved time, 60% that it might reveal other diseases, 52% that it could be used as a status on control admissions and 79% that it was suitable in the preparation for operation and invasive diagnostic procedures. On the basis of a survey of the literature, it is concluded that routine use of laboratory screening on admission is not justified.