Implementation of laboratory screening procedures on a short-term psychiatric inpatient unit

A health maintenance screening procedure was done on blood and urine specimens on 636 patients admitted to short term adult psychiatric ward. The data obtained was assessed by laboratory test and by its effect on the subsequent work-up and diagnostic thinking about those patients who had unexpected abnormal findings. The overall incidence of unexpected abnormal tests was low (3.0%). Similarly the incidence of new disease found by these procedures was low (between 2.2% and 8.5%). In no case was an underlying medical cause for the mental disorder for which the patient was admitted detected by the screening procedure. The authors conclude that these routine blood and urine screening tests add very little to the care of psychiatric inpatients.