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Review
. 1987 Sep;147(3):287-91.

Electrolyte, blood urea nitrogen and glucose level screening in medical admissions. Impact on patient management

Review

Electrolyte, blood urea nitrogen and glucose level screening in medical admissions. Impact on patient management

L Rucker et al. West J Med. 1987 Sep.

Abstract

Investigators have failed to show the usefulness of screening electrolyte-sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate-blood urea nitrogen and glucose levels. In spite of this, we observed that that practice continues to be widely used at our university medical center. Using a form of consensus analysis, we examined the records of 301 admissions to the medicine service to determine whether laboratory tests were done for diagnostic or screening purposes and whether screening test results led to changes in patient management. Of the 1,764 tests done, 716 (40.6%) were for screening purposes. Only 2 (0.3%) screening test abnormalities led to any therapeutic changes, and many false-positive tests led to unnecessary diagnostic retesting.

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    [No authors listed] [No authors listed] West J Med. 1987 Nov;147(5):600-1. West J Med. 1987. PMID: 3424832 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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