The medical team should regularly reassess the indications for routine daily bloodwork and chest radiographs as the clinical course proceeds, especially when there has been no significant intervening condition change. Several studies have demonstrated the cost benefits of such a strategy, without compromising the delivery of optimal patient care.
For more information:
Ganapathy A, Adhikari NK, Spiegelman J, Scales DC. Routine chest x-rays in intensive care units: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Crit Care. 2012;16(2):R68. Published 2012 Dec 12. PMID: 22541022.
Gershengorn HB, Wunsch H, Scales DC, Rubenfeld GD. Trends in Use of Daily Chest Radiographs Among US Adults Receiving Mechanical Ventilation. JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(4):e181119. Published 2018 Aug 3. PMID: 30646104.
Merkeley HL, Hemmett J, Cessford TA, et al. Multipronged strategy to reduce routine-priority blood testing in intensive care unit patients. J Crit Care. 2016;31(1):212-216. PMID: 26476580.
Rachakonda KS, Parr M, Aneman A, Bhonagiri S, Micallef S. Rational Clinical Pathology Assessment in the Intensive Care Unit. Anaesth Intensive Care. 2017;45(4):503-510. PMID: 28673222.
Sy E, Luong M, Quon M, et al. Implementation of a quality improvement initiative to reduce daily chest radiographs in the intensive care unit. BMJ Qual Saf. 2016;25(5):379-385. PMID: 26350068.