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[Overutilization of clinical biochemical analyses?].

BACKGROUND
A pilot study was conducted in order to highlight the possibly unnecessary requisitioning of biochemical analyses in a Norwegian hospital.


MATERIAL AND METHODS
The following parameters from consecutive patients and focusing repeated testing were included in the study: i) serum protein electrophoresis (30 patients), ii) thyroid function tests in serum (43 patients), iii) prothrombin time test (PT-INR) (30 patients), iv) haemoglobin (30 patients) and v) an analysis package of 13 single tests designed for the primary investigation of "acute abdomen" (30 patients). Criteria for correct and incorrect requisitioning were defined.


RESULTS
69% of the acute abdomen test package requisitions were incorrect, although single tests within the package may have been justified. 17% of PT-INR and 15% of haemoglobin tests were superfluous, while nearly all serum protein electrophoresis and thyroid analyses were not unnecessarily repeated.


INTERPRETATION
The study demonstrated a clear possibility for reducing financial as well as labour costs by correct requisitioning of biochemical analyses, without loss to the quality of diagnostic service and treatment.