Análisis sobre el uso de exámenes preoperatorios en pacientes sometidas a cirugías programadas en el Servicio de Ginecología del Hospital "Dr. Rafael ángel Calderón Guardia", durante 2009

aim:to analyze the use of routine preoperative tests in patients undergoing elective gynecologic surgery at the rafael ángel calderón guardia hospital during 2009. methods: this is a cross-sectional observational study. two hundred seventy two medical records were analyzed of patients who underwent surgery between january 1st 2009 and june 3rd of 2009. the variables studied were: age, coexisting morbidity, amount and type of additional preoperative tests performed and amount and type of preoperative missing tests according to the 2002 guidelines of the american society of anaesthesiologists (asa). results: the mean of preoperative tests preformed for each patient was 4,3 (sd + 2,1). according to the asa guidelines, only 44,9% (ci: 95% 38,8-51,0) of the patients had all the preoperative test completed. in addition 55,1% (ci: 95% 49,0-61,2) of the patients missed at least 1 of the preoperative needed tests. the mean of the preoperative tests missing in this case was 1,7 (sd +1,1). on the other hand, 93% (ci: 95% 89,3-95,7) of the patients had undergone at least 1 unnecessary preoperative test according to their morbidity. the mean of this additional preoperative test was 2,5 (sd +1,6). nine point five percent of the total of unnecessary preoperative tests showed abnormal results. only 7,6% (ci: 95% 2,5-16,8) of the medical records of these patients showed some corrective action. three percent (ci: 95% 0,4-10,5) of the surgeries were cancelled for this reason. conclusion: this study showed the incorrect use of preoperative tests in the gynecology service of the calderón guardia hospital.