Internal Medicine

Answer 2 None of the above. The indiscriminate use of preoperative laboratory and ancillary testing has been the subject of debate. However, in otherwise healthy patients awaiting elective, uncomplicated procedures, routine use of a battery of blood tests and chest radiography in the absence of a clear indication rarely affects outcome or perioperative management.3 With regard to preoperative echocardiography, the indications are the same as in the nonoperative period and would not be useful in the absence of signs or symptoms of cardiac disease. Test of hemostasis only are indicated if there is a personal or family history of perioperative or spontaneous bleeding.3 < REFERENCE 3. Smetana GW, Macpherson DS. The case against routine preoperative laboratory testing. Med Clin North Am 2003; 87:7–40. Click here to return to the questions

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