title: Laboratory screening prior to hand surgery. A life-saving endeavor.
abstract: Routine preoperative testing on patients undergoing elective and emergency surgery has identified life-threatening illnesses unknown to the patient. Over a six-year period, 34 patients were found to have such medical problems, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, tuberculosis, pneumonia, Paget's disease, and sarcoid.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000601:surgery*; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012306:Risk; D014556:Urine / Q000032:analysis