The Medical Usefulness of Stat Tests

Although Stat tests are one of the most important features of clinical laboratory performance, the indexed literature is devoid of significant discussion of the subject. The authors undertook a study by querying hospital laboratories about their current practices and received 38 useable answers dealing with the types of tests done on an urgent basis, the turnaround time for reports, the limitations on ordering, the use of special Stat laboratories and instruments, and decisions regarding priorities. The findings are presented in tabular form.