PREOPERATIVE COAGULATION-TESTING ON A GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY SERVICE

Objective: To determine the prevalence and clinical significance pf ab normalities of preoperative coagulation tests in gynecologic oncology patients. Methods: Three hundred fifty-one patients presenting for inp atient surgical procedures on the gynecologic oncology service at Duke University Medical Center from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1990, underwent preoperative coagulation testing. Twenty-nine patients had o nly prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) measur ed; the remaining 322 had preoperative measurement of PT, PTT, fibrino gen, and fragment D-dimer. Outcomes assessed were perioperative hemorr hage resulting in death or reoperation, postoperative hematomas, and n eed for intraoperative and postoperative transfusion.