Preoperative coagulation tests: A narrative review of current guidelines

Hemostasis tests are traditionally requested for all patients requiring any surgical act or invasive diagnostic-therapeutic procedure to prevent hemorrhagic complications. The aim of this study is to assess the necessity of requesting standard pre-procedure hemostasis tests.

A narrative literature review was conducted using the PubMed data-base. Search terms included «Hemostasis» or «Blood coagulation» in combination with «Preoperative care», «Preoperative period», or «Preoperative procedure». Additionally, a targeted search was performed to find recommendations from international societies related to the topic.

A total of 233 articles were found, 17 were pre-selected, and after full-text evaluation, 14 relevant articles were identified. The targeted search yielded an additional 12 articles. The request for tests should be individualized according to the clinical history. Standardized screening questionnaires for hemostasis disorders are useful and complement the aforementioned approach. Factors such as age, ASA classification, bleeding potential-complexity of the procedure, and anesthetic technique may influence their request.

The incidence of hemostasis disorders in the general population is very low, and these can mostly be detected through clinical history. Thus, it is the clinical history that should guide the need for laboratory test requests.

Preoperative hemostasis tests should not be indiscriminately requested for all patients needing an intervention or invasive diagnostic-therapeutic procedure, but rather when there are doubts about their hemostatic competence or as advised by the nature of the procedure they are undergoing.