Influence of investigations on diagnosis and patient management (n=6401). Percentages in parentheses
| Investigation | Number of investigations | Number of investigations which influenced the diagnosis | Number of investigations which changed patient care in ER | Number of investigations which influenced the decision to admit or not |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full blood count | 3348 | 261 (7.8) | 118 (3.5) | 226 (6.8) |
| BUN and creatinine | 5504 | 42 (0.8) | 16 (0.3) | 20 (0.4) |
| Electrolytes | 6829 | 181 (2.7) | 178 (2.6) | 234 (3.4) |
| Liver function tests | 1413 | 30 (2.1) | 0 | 2 (0.1) |
| Cardiac enzymes | 908 | 0 | 0 | 178 (19.6) |
| Clotting studies | 927 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cross match | 360 | 0 | 28 (7.8) | 0 |
| Blood glucose | 2880 | 217 (7.5) | 102 (3.5) | 100 (3.5) |
| Amylase | 189 | 78 (53.0) | 100 (53.0) | 65 (34.4) |
| Arterial blood gases | 297 | 56 (18.8) | 142 (53.0) | 86 (29.0) |
| Total | 22 655 | 865 (3.8) | 684 (3.0) | 911 (4.0) |