Current practice of pre-operative assessment at a public sector hospital in Pakistan – a clinical audit

Authors

  • Sana Urooj Department of Anaesthesiology, Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Pain Management, Civil Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Anum Mughal Department of Anaesthesiology, Civil Hospital, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Sarush Ahmed Siddiqui Department of Anaesthesiology, Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Pain Management, Civil Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Rabia Kamal Department of Anaesthesiology, Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Pain Management, Civil Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Aisha Naeem Department of Anaesthesiology, Civil Hospital, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.8339

Keywords:

Preoperative, Investigation, Guidelines, Assessment, Audit

Abstract

Objective: To assess the practice of ordering unnecessary laboratory investigations by primary surgical teams.

Method: The clinical audit was conducted from December 17, 2022, to January 15, 2023, at the Civil Hospital, Karachi, and comprised primary surgeons working in different surgical units who ordered laboratory investigations for patients as a part of preoperative assessment. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Data was analysed using SPSS 20.

Results: Of the 280 surgeons approached, 249(89%) responded. The units covered were General surgery 96(38.5%), Gynaecology 74(29.7%), Neurosurgery 5(2.0%), Ear, Nose and Throat 19(7.6%), Plastic surgery 15(6.02%), Paediatric surgery 13(5.2%), Vascular surgery 8(3.21%), Oromaxilofacial 9(3.61%), Opthalmology 6(2.4%), and Orthopaedics 4(1.60%).As part of baseline investigations, 244(98%)  surgeons ordered complete blood count, 173(69.5%) ordered urea and creatinine, 229(92%) ordered viral markers, 197(78.7%) ordered fasting and random blood glucose, and 178(71.5%) focussed on cardiac fitness.

Conclusion: There was a found a need for standard protocols for pre-surgery evaluation so that unnecessary investigations may be avoided.

Key Words: Preoperative, Investigation, Guidelines, Assessment, Audit.

Published

2024-03-20

How to Cite

Urooj, S., Mughal, A., Siddiqui, S. A., Kamal, R., & Naeem, A. (2024). Current practice of pre-operative assessment at a public sector hospital in Pakistan – a clinical audit. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 74(4), 736–740. https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.8339

Issue

Section

AUDIT