Abstract
Background
The findings of pre-operative investigations help to identify risk factors that may affect the course of surgery or post-operative recovery by contributing to informed consent conversations between the surgical team and the patient, as well as guiding surgical and anesthetic planning. Certainly, preoperative tests are valuable when they offer additional information beyond what can be gathered from a patient’s history and physical examination alone. Preoperative testing practices differ significantly among hospitals, and even within the same hospital, clinicians may have varying approaches to requesting tests. This study aimed to investigate preoperative testing practices and compare them with the latest guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Methods
This three-month institutionally based study was carried out at the Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from May 1 to July 30, 2023, including individuals aged 16 years and older who were not pregnant and had undergone elective surgery in the gynecological, orthopedic, and general units. Data on the sociodemographic characteristics, the existence of comorbidities, the invasiveness of surgery, and the tests taken into consideration by the guideline were gathered using a self-administered questionnaire. After rigorously analyzing and revising the results of preoperative investigation approaches, we compared them to the standard of recommendations. Moreover, the data was analyzed and graphically presented using Microsoft Excel 2013.
Results
During the data collection period, 247 elective patients underwent general, orthopedic, and gynecological operations. The majority of patients, 107 (43.32%), were between the ages of 16 and 40 and had an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class one (92.71%). 350 investigations were requested in total. Of these, 71 (20.28%) tests were ordered without a justified reason or in contravention of NICE recommendations.
Conclusions
In our hospital’s surgical clinical practice, unnecessary preoperative testing is still common, especially when it comes to organ function tests, electrocardiograms (ECGs), and complete blood counts (FBCs). When deciding whether preoperative studies are required, it is critical to consider aspects including a complete patient history, a physical examination, and the invasiveness of the surgery.
Key Questions
1. Why is preoperative testing important before surgery?
Preoperative testing helps identify risk factors that may impact the course of surgery or recovery, facilitating better decision-making in surgery and anesthetic planning.
2. What are the common unnecessary preoperative tests?
Common unnecessary tests include organ function tests, electrocardiograms (ECGs), and complete blood counts (FBCs), which may be ordered without a clear justification according to NICE guidelines.
3. How do preoperative testing practices vary across hospitals?
Preoperative testing practices differ significantly across hospitals, with different clinicians within the same hospital adopting varying approaches to ordering tests for elective surgery patients.
4. What are the guidelines for preoperative testing according to NICE?
The NICE guidelines recommend that preoperative tests should only be performed when necessary, based on a patient’s medical history, physical examination, and the invasiveness of the surgery.
5. How can preoperative testing impact patient outcomes?
Unnecessary preoperative testing can lead to increased costs, longer waiting times, and potential delays in treatment, while justified testing improves surgical planning and patient safety.
