Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Preoperative laboratory testing: should any tests be "routine" before surgery?

D S Macpherson1

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Medical Clinics of North America
|March 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Patient satisfaction in resident and attending ambulatory care clinics.

Journal of general internal medicine·2001
Same author

Understanding racial variation in the use of coronary revascularization procedures: the role of clinical factors.

Archives of internal medicine·2000
Same author

Digital ischaemia: an unusual presentation of dysbarism.

International journal of clinical practice·1999
Same author

Hyperkalemia in outpatients using angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. How much should we worry?

Archives of internal medicine·1998
Same author

Pulmonary function tests before surgery.

Chest·1996
Same author

Management of lower limb ischaemia associated with the use of intra-aortic balloon pumps during cardiac surgery.

European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery : the official journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery·1995

Routine preoperative testing before elective surgery is not justified. The low frequency of significant findings and lack of evidence linking abnormalities to patient harm do not support universal testing practices.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Practice
  • Preoperative Assessment
  • Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

  • Universal preoperative testing is a common practice.
  • The clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of routine testing are debated.
  • Evidence supporting routine testing in all patients is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the justification for routine preoperative testing in all patients undergoing elective surgery.
  • To assess the frequency of unanticipated abnormalities and their impact on patient management.
  • To review the association between abnormal test results and perioperative morbidity.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and analysis of existing studies on preoperative testing.
  • Examination of data on the incidence of abnormal findings in asymptomatic patients.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Assessment of evidence linking preoperative test abnormalities to surgical outcomes.

    • Main Results:

    • The frequency of unanticipated abnormalities requiring management changes is low.
    • There is insufficient evidence to correlate routine preoperative test abnormalities with increased perioperative morbidity.
    • The practice of universal testing is not supported by current evidence.

    Conclusions:

    • Routine preoperative testing for all patients before elective surgery is not justified.
    • Clinical guidelines should be updated to reflect evidence-based recommendations against universal testing.
    • Focus should be on selective testing based on patient history and clinical examination.