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Reducing the use of inappropriate coagulation testing in emergency general surgical patients

Background and aims Indiscriminate coagulation testing in emergency general surgical patients can lead to inappropriate delay in surgery, cause unnecessary concern and is associated with significant cost. The British Committee for Standards in Haematology recommends against coagulation testing to predict peri-operative bleeding risk in unselected patients. Our aim was to assess the appropriateness of coagulation tests performed in emergency general surgical patients and evaluate the effect of a series of educational interventions on clinical practice. Methods and results Appropriate indications for performing coagulation testing included a positive bleeding history, the presence of liver disease/cholestasis, sepsis or use of anticoagulants. Initial data on 142 patients were collected over 2 weeks of receiving. Following analysis, indications for appropriate coagulation testing were highlighted and data were collected on a further 190 patients. Comparing the audit cycles, we observed a decrease in the proportion of patients who underwent routine testing (49.3% vs 32.6%; p = 0.002) and inappropriate testing (67% of tests vs 34% of tests; p < 0.001). Despite being highlighted, there was no evidence of improved documentation of bleeding histories on admission. Conclusions This observational study suggests that simple educational messages can reduce the inappropriate use of coagulation screening tests in general surgical emergencies. This seems to result from clarification of the appropriate surgical indications for coagulation testing in this group.