CRITICAL VALUES
|
Critical Values are potentially life threatening results that will be communicated
to the client (office, treating physician, physician on call, or pathologist on call)
as soon as confirmed by the testing laboratory. Critical Results will be communicated
at any hour of the day to a physician so that appropriate medical treatment decisions
can be made.
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| CHEMISTRY CRITICAL VALUES |
|---|
| | Low | High |
| Glucose | < 40 mg/dL | > 600 mg/dL |
| Sodium | < 120 mEq/L | > 160 mEq/L |
| Potassium | < 2.7 mEq/L | > 6.5 mEq/L |
| Calcium | < 6.0 mg/dL | > 13.0 mg/dL |
| Phosphorus | < 1.0 mg/dL | |
| Magnesium | < 0.7 mg/dL | > 4.5 mg/dL |
| |
| HEMATOLOGY CRITICAL VALUES |
|---|
| | Low | High |
| WBC | < 2,000/mm3 | > 150,000/mm3 |
| Hemoglobin | < 6.0 g/dL | |
| Platelet | < 20,000/mm3 | > 2,000,000/mm3 |
| PT | | > 5.0 INR |
| PTT | | > 90.0 seconds |
| |
| THERAPEUTIC DRUG CRITICAL VALUES |
|---|
| | | High |
| Carbamazepine | | > 20.0 ug/mL |
| Digoxin | | > 4.0 ng/mL |
| Lithium | | > 3.0 mEq/L |
| Phenobarbital | | > 60.0 ug/mL |
| Phenytoin | | > 40.0 ug/mL |
| Phenytoin, Free | | > 3.0 ug/mL |
| Theophylline | | > 40.0 ug/mL |
| Valproic Acid | | > 175.0 ug/mL |
| |
| MICROBIOLOGY CRITICAL VALUES |
|---|
| Positive Gram Stain - blood, CSF, other normally sterile body site |
| Positive Culture - blood, CSF, other normally sterile body site |
| Positive RSV on patients ≤ 3 years of age |
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