Support Services
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 telephone 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
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 |