OUTPATIENT PERCUTANEOUS BLIND NEEDLE LIVER-BIOPSY - SAFETY AND COST-ANALYSIS

To determine the safety, complication rate and cost saving of outpatie nt percutaneous blind needle liver biopsy in a single tertiary care ce nter, we retrospectively reviewed the records of all 117 patients who had had outpatient percutaneous blind needle liver biopsy from March 1 994 to September 1995. We reviewed data including demography, Child's classification, histopathology report and complications, and attempted to compare the cost involved with inpatient liver biopsy. Of the 117 records studied, two were incomplete. Of the 115 patients who had comp lete records, 43 (37.4%) had minor complications, 2 (1.7%) required ov ernight hospitalization for pain and hypotension, and the procedure fa iled in one patient (0.9%). There was no correlation between complicat ions and Child's classification, or concomitant chronic renal failure. In comparison to inpatient liver biopsy, we calculated that the savin g made is about 1800 Saudi Riyals ($478.70) per operation, if performe d on an outpatient basis. We conclude that outpatient percutaneous bli nd needle liver biopsy is safe, successful in more than 99% of cases, associated with no mortality, has negligible major complications requi ring hospital admission, and results in considerable savings per biops y. We therefore strongly recommend performing most liver biopsies on a n outpatient basis, in the appropriate hospital setting, unless hospit al admission is otherwise indicated.