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

Macpherson, D S · Med Clin North Am · 1993

review · Level V

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Abstract

Routine preoperative testing of all patients before elective surgery is unjustified. The frequency of unanticipated abnormalities or abnormalities shown to change patient management is too low to justify a practice pattern of testing all patients. Furthermore, little evidence exists that test result abnormalities are associated with perioperative morbidity. Table 12 lists a compilation of the findings from this article and recommendations regarding routine testing.

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