Evaluating the effectiveness of pre-operative platelet inhibition testing to reduce costs and pre-operative length of stay

Abstract

This was a retrospective study to assess the effectiveness of Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Guidelines in reducing resource utilization at Washington Adventist Hospital, Takoma Park, Maryland. Pre and post operative stay (days), platelets and other blood product use, along with hospital costs were compared in elective Cardiac Surgical patients receiving P2Y12 inhibitors in the year prior to and year following the implementation of the STS guidelines of preoperative monitoring of platelet inhibition with VerifyNow.Our results demonstrated a significant decrease in length of stay, and although there was no discernible impact on other blood product use, there was a meaningful reduction in platelet use following implementation of the VerifyNow PRUTest assay for routine use in directing the timing of cardiac surgical procedures in this patient population.