Evaluation of Unnecessary Requests for Routine Tests in Patients with Abdominal and Chest Trauma in the Emergency Room of Besat Hospital in Hamadan, Iran, in 2020

 Today, paraclinical tests play an important role in diagnosis and treatment of trauma patients. The present study was performed with the aim of evaluating unnecessary requests for routine tests in patients with abdominal and chest trauma (ACT) in the emergency room of Besat Hospital in Hamadan, Iran.

 In this cross-sectional study, 400 patients with ACT, referring to the emergency department of Besat Hospital in Hamadan in 2020, were selected using census method. Then the number and type of tests and their effect on disease outcome were examined. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 and Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman correlation coefficients.

 In the present study, the mean age of patients was 46.05±18.92 years, 75.5% were male and 24.5% were female. Frequency of essential tests (. 81.7% of the necessary tests and 94.8% of the unnecessary tests had yielded negative results. There was no significant relationship between the number of unnecessary tests requested and the type of trauma or day and shift of presentation to the department. But there was a significant relationship between the number of unnecessary tests requested and age, sex, length of hospital stay, and the final outcome (P <0.001).

 In this study, requests for unnecessary tests was more than requests for necessary tests in patients with ACT. Planning to optimize the current system of requesting tests and collaboration between physicians and laboratory specialists can minimize the inadequacy of the tests.