Implementation of guidelines for preoperative laboratory investigations in patients scheduled to undergo elective surgery

To assess the impact on preoperative laboratory investigations in elective surgery after the implementation of guidelines for ordering such tests. A retrospective chart audit. A university teaching hospital. The charts of 903 patients who underwent an elective surgical procedure from each surgical specialty except cardiovascular and thoracic. Implementation of guidelines for preoperative laboratory investigations. Impact on the preoperative use of laboratory investigations after implementation of the guidelines as well as patient morbidity and mortality. The mean number of preoperative laboratory investigations done per patient decreased from 4.65 before implementation of the guidelines to 4.18 after (p < 0.001). There was no apparent adverse impact on patient morbidity or mortality. Implementation of guidelines for preoperative laboratory investigations for elective surgery resulted in a reduction in the number of tests without adverse impact on patient morbidity or mortality.