title: Utilisation of the pre-operative ECG.
abstract: The utilisation of the pre-operative ECG in patients undergoing routine surgery was investigated in 354 adult patients over a 2-week period. Sixty-four percent of patients had an ECG pre-operatively. An ECG was not performed in 17% of patients who, current hospital policy suggests, should have had one. In contrast, an ECG was performed in 33% of patients who, hospital policy suggests, have no need of one (all of which were normal), which represented 18% of the total number of pre-operative ECGs performed. In 62% of patients with known cardiac disease, and 44% of patients with strong risk factors for ischaemic heart disease (in the absence of known disease) the ECG was abnormal. This compares with only 7% of patients aged over 50 with no risk factors in whom the ECG was abnormal. These findings suggest that there is room for improvement in the utilisation of the pre-operative ECG, which may have cost implications.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Surgical and Anaesthetic Sciences, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Callaghan
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Reilly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006300:Health Services Misuse; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors