Routine preoperative laboratory testing in elective pediatric cardiothoracic surgery is largely unnecessary

• Published in: The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery Vol. 153; no. 3; pp. 678 - 685
• Main Authors: Nieto, R. Michael, MD, De León, Luis E., MD, Diaz, Daniel Trujillo, MD, Krauklis, Kimberly A., CRNP, Fraser, Charles D., MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.03.2017
• Subjects: Cardiac Surgical Procedures - methods; Cardiothoracic Surgery; Child; Diagnostic Tests, Routine - statistics & numerical data; Elective Surgical Procedures; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Diseases - diagnosis; Heart Diseases - surgery; Humans; Preoperative Care - methods; preoperative laboratory correspondence; preoperative screening; Retrospective Studies; routine blood testing; routine coagulation screen; Unnecessary Procedures - statistics & numerical data; preoperative laboratory correspondence; PT; CBC; routine preoperative laboratory testing; ECG; prothrombin time; Chem7; UTI; UA; 7 chemistry metabolic panel; preoperative screening; complete blood count; PTT; routine coagulation screen; electrocardiogram; urinalysis; routine blood testing; partial thromboplastin time; RLT; CXR; chest radiograph; urinary tract infection

Abstract Objective Routine preoperative laboratory testing (RLT) is common practice in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery and is associated with significant cost burden to patients and families. We sought to examine the value of RLT in patients undergoing elective pediatric cardiothoracic surgery. Met...