Do not perform blood tests routinely and daily in patients admitted to Intensive Care, but only on the basis of specific clinical questions.

Do not perform blood tests routinely and daily in patients admitted to Intensive Care, but only on the basis of specific clinical questions.

Type of practice

Laboratory tests

Age

Adult, Geriatric, Pediatric

Topic Area

Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care

Routine and systematic laboratory tests are not recommended for patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. It has been shown that routinely requesting them, rather than on the basis of specific clinical questions or with the aim of modifying the therapeutic plan, does not improve the outcome, exposes patients to unnecessary risks (anemia secondary to excessive phlebotomies, increased infections related to excessive manipulation of venous catheters, risks arising from incidental and non-pathological results of routinely performed laboratory tests) and increases healthcare costs.

Sources

1. Kleinpell RM, Farmer JC, Pastores SM. Reducing Unnecessary Testing in the Intensive Care Unit by Choosing Wisely. Acute Crit Care 2018;33:1-6.
2. Conroy M, Homsy E, Johns J, et al. Reducing Unnecessary Laboratory Utilization in the Medical ICU: A Fellow-Driven Quality Improvement Initiative. Crit Care Explor 2021;3:e0499.
3. Goddard K, Austin SJ. Appropriate regulation of routine laboratory testing can reduce the costs associated with patient stay in intensive care. Crit Care 2011;15 (Suppl 1): S133.
4. Allyn J, Devineau M, Oliver M, et al. A descriptive study of routine laboratory testing in intensive care unit in nearly 140,000 patient stays. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21526.

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Attention. Please note that these items are provided only for information and are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a clinician. Patients with any specific questions about the items on this list or their individual situation should consult their clinician.