title: Criteria for the request of preoperative tests among oral and maxillofacial surgeons.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to analyze the criteria employed for the requesting of preoperative tests among maxillofacial surgeons.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty maxillofacial surgeons working in Aracaju (Brazil) received a questionnaire to fill out. The study inquired about the practice of requesting preoperative tests for healthy patients scheduled to undergo elective surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the surgeons interviewed requested tests that are not recommended for the case in question. The highest frequency of requests was a complete blood count, coagulation test, blood glucose test and chest radiograph.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The absence of strict rules for the requesting of preoperative tests causes uncertainty and a lack of criteria regarding pre-surgical conduct. It was not possible to clearly define the criteria used by surgeons for requesting such tests, as the clinical characteristics of the hypothetical case presented suggest a smaller number of tests.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Aracaju, SE, Brazil. lcsilva@ufs.br
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos Ferreira
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Ana Carla de Assunção
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Jadson Alípio Santana Sousa
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Thiago de Santana
authors.initials: Tde S
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D000766:Anesthesia, Dental; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001938:Brazil; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D006801:Humans; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000601:surgery; D009295:Nasal Bone / Q000293:injuries; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures; D056948:Orthognathic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D011300:Preoperative Care; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D013515:Surgery, Oral; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014081:Tooth Extraction
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose