Anestezi Dergisi, cilt.20, sa.1, ss.22-26, 2012 (Scopus)
We aimed to determine which biochemical tests are necessary and un-necessary before the elective surgery. Laboratory tests performed for the preoperative evaluation of the patients undergoing to the elective surgery are used to identify the unpredicted situations that could interfere with the evaluation of the risks faced in anesthesia and surgery. Most of the hospitals have the established policy about the usage of biochemical tests that should be performed before the elective surgery, but these tests can cause to the unnecessary cost since preoperative laboratory tests performed without clinical necessity is not sufficient to predict the postoperatif results and routine biochemical tests could change the patient management rarely. In most of the studies investigated the preoperatif diagnostic tests, routine biochemical tests would be more useful for only patients with positive sign in the medical history and physical examination, because prevalence of the abnormal laboratory tests interfere with the patient management was minimal. Moreover, if the biochemical tests performed within the 4-months of the surgery were normal and there was no change in the clinical condition of the patient, it would be recommended that routine biochemical tests should not be repeated.