Dive Brief:
- Researchers at The Cleveland Clinic analyzed records from 1,894 cardiac surgery patients and found that they were subjected to an average of 115 laboratory tests per patient while hospitalized.
- The median volume of blood drawn from each patient was 454 mL, which the first author of the study said was "roughly equivalent to one to two cans of soda."
- That much blood loss can lead to anemia, which may result in worse outcomes for the patient.
Dive Insight:
Patients who are hospitalized generally have blood drawn multiple times over a brief hospital stay. According to the Society of Hospital Medicine, this practice should be eliminated in patients whose clinical conditions and labs are stable. Their reasoning behind this stance is that phlebotomy can contribute to anemia, which can, in turn, have significant consequences, especially for patients with cardiorespiratory diseases. Additionally, reducing the frequency of unnecessary blood draws can add up to significant cost savings for the hospital.