The definition of a “critical value”, according to the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) is “a pathological state at such variance with normal as to be immediately life-threatening unless something is done promptly and for which some corrective action must be taken.” The laboratory is required by law to call critical values to the patient’s caregiver and document the call.
Critical values for this laboratory
| Glucose | <40 mg/dL and >900 mg/dL |
| Potassium | <2.8 mEq/L and >6.5 mEq/L |
| Sodium | <128 mEq/L and >160 mEq/L |
| Total CO2 | <10 mEq/L |
| BUN | >80 mg/dL on new admissions |
| Phosphorus | > 9.0 mg/dL |
| Total Bili | > 25 mg/dL |
| Calcium | < 6.5 mg/dL and >13.0 mg/dL |
| Phenytoin | >30 µg/mL |
| Phenobarb | >50 µg/mL |
| Theophylline | >20 µg/mL |
| Salicylate | >30 mg/dL |
| Hemoglobin | < 5.0 g/dL and >21 g/dL (>25 g/dL for NICU patients) |
| INR | >4.0 |
| Partial Thromboplastin Time | >75 seconds |
| WBC | <0.200 103/mm3 |
| Platelets | <10 K/mm3 |
| Fibrinogen | < 45 mg/dL |
| Positive findings for: | Blood Cultures CSF gram stains or cultures |
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