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Critical Values

Certain laboratory test results are "life threatening" unless therapy is instituted quickly. These "action" values are telephoned directly to the physician requesting the determination, another physician responsible for the patient, the "charge nurse", the attending physician for that ward, clinic, or service, or the chief of staff should the person listed be unavailable.  The telephonrf reporting and read back is documented in the Laboratory Information System (LIS) records.




Test

Low


High


Serum Total Carbon Dioxide

< 10 mEq/L

> 45 mEq/L

Serum Sodium

< 120 mEq/L

> 160 mEq/L

Serum Potassium

< 2.7 mEq/L

> 6.5 mEq/L

Serum Potassium (hemolyzed)

< 2.7 mEq/L

> 8.0 mEq/L

Serum Glucose

< 40 mg/dL

> 700 mg/dL

Serum Calcium

< 6 mg/dL

> 13 mg/dL

Ionized Calcium

< 0.78 mmol/L

> 1.57 mmol/L

Serum Phosphate

< 1 mg/dL

None

Serum Salicylate

None

> 70 mg/dL

Serum Magnesium

None

> 8.0 mg/dL

Troponin I

None

> 0.5 ng/ml

Fibrinogen

< 50 mg

None

Prothrombin Time

None

 INr > 5.0

Blood Platelets (adult)

< 30,000/mm3

None

Blood Platelets (neonates)

< 20,000/mm3

None

Packed Cell Volume

< 15 vol%

None

Blood Hemoglobin

< 5 g/dL

None

Blood WBC

None

> 150,000/mL

TDM Drugs

< Therapeutic Range

> Therapeutic Range

PO2

< 40 mm Hg

None

PCO2

< 20 mm Hg

> 70 mm Hg

pH

< 7.2 units

> 7.6 units

CK-MB

None

See Note



Note: CK-MB> 8.0 microgm/L if total CK <250 U/L. CK-MB >8.0 microgm/L and RI >3.2 if total CK >250 U/L. First elevation will be called.

 

Positive Blood Culture

Positive Blood or CSF Gram Stain

Positive CSF Cultures

Positive CSF Antigen Detection

Presence of Blast Cells (previously undiagnosed leukemia)

Presence of Tumor or Blast Cell in Body Fluid


Pediatric Critical (Panic) Laboratory Values

 


Test

Low


High


Serum Potassium (newborn)

< 2.7 mEq/L

> 6.5 mEq/L

Serum Glucose (newborn)

< 30 mg/dL

> 300 mg/dL

Serum Bilirubin Total (newborn)

None

> 18 mg/dL

Blood Platelets (newborn/ped)

< 20,000/mm3

None

Packed Cell Volume (newborn)

< 25 vol%

None

Blood Hemoglobin (newborn)

< 8 g/dL

None

PO2

< 40 mm Hg

> 100 mm Hg

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