Critical Values
Hematology
| Test Name | Critical Low Value | Critical High Value |
|---|---|---|
| Hematocrit | < 18.0% | > 61.0% |
| Hemoglobin | < 6.8 g/dL | > 19.9 g/dL |
| Platelet - Child/Newborn | < 53 x 103 cells/uL | > 916 x 103 cells/uL |
| Platelet - Adult | < 37 x 103 cells/uL | > 910 x 103 cells/uL |
| White Blood Count | < 2.0 x 103 cells/uL | > 37.0 x 103 cells/uL |
Coagulation
| Test Name | Critical Value |
|---|---|
| INR | > 5.0 |
| aPTT | > 68 seconds |
Chemistry
| Test Name | Critical Low Value | Critical High Value |
|---|---|---|
| Total Bilirubin | Critical Value: > 15 mg/dL | |
| Calcium | < 6.6 mg/dL | > 13.0 mg/dL |
| Glucose - Adults (FASTING ONLY) | < 46 mg/dL | > 484 mg/dL |
| Glucose - Newborn (FASTING ONLY) | < 30 mg/dL | > 300 mg/dL |
| Phosphorus | < 1.2 mg/dL | > 8.9 mg/dL |
| Sodium | < 120 meq/L | > 158 meq/L |
| Potassium - Adults | < 2.8 meq/L | > 6.2 meq/L |
| Potassium - Newborn | < 2.5 meq/L | >8.0 meq/L |
| Chloride | < 75 mmol/L | > 126 mmol/L |
| CO2 | < 11 mmol/L | > 40 mmol/L |
| Magnesium | < 1.0 mg/dL | > 4.9 mg/dL |
| BUN | Critical Value: > 104 mg/dL | |
| Uric Acid | Critical Value: > 13 mg/dL | |
| Creatinine (serum) | Critical Value: > 7.4 mg/dL | |
| Triglyceride | Critical Value: > 1000 mg/dL | |
Therapeutic Drugs - Antibiotics
| Test Name | Critical Low Value | Critical High Value |
|---|---|---|
| Gentamicin | Trough > 2.0 ug/mL | Peak > 12.0 ug/m |
| Tobramycin | Critical Value: Trough > 2.0 ug/mL | |
| Vancomycin | Critical Value: Trough > 30 ug/L | |
Therapeutic Drugs - Analgesics
| Test Name | Critical Value |
|---|---|
| Salicylate | >/= 40 mg/dL (lethal > 60 mg/dL) |
| Acetaminophen | >/= 200 ug/mL (drawn 4 hours after ingestion) |
Therapeutic Drugs - Anti-Epileptics
| Test Name | Critical Value |
|---|---|
| Carbamazephine (Tegratol) | > 20 ug/mL |
| Ethosuximide | > 200 ug/mL |
| Phenobarbital | > 60 ug/mL |
| Phenytoin (Dilantin) | > 40 ug/mL (toxicity may occur at lower concentrations in presence of low Albumin) |
| Primidone | > 24 ug/mL |
| Valproic Acid (Depakote) | > 200 ug/mL |
Therapeutic Drugs - Anti-Depressants
| Test Name | Critical Value |
|---|---|
| Lithium (Acute Therapy) | > 2.0 meq/L |
| Imipramine | > 400 ng/mL |
Therapeutic Drugs - Anti-Dysrhythmics
| Test Name | Critical Value |
|---|---|
| Procainamide | > 10 ug/mL |
| Quinidine | > 6 ug/mL |
| Theophylline | > 25 ug/mL |
| Digoxin (Lanoxin) | > 2.5 ng/mL |
Urinalysis
| Test Name | Critical Value |
|---|---|
| Microscopic | Foreign cells, Tissue |
| Blood (males only) | Gross (visually bloody) |
Microbiology
| Test Name |
|---|
| Positive Blood Cultures |
| Positive Blood Culture Gram Stains |
| MRSA Cultures - Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus |
| MRSE Cultures - Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis |
| MRSS Cultures - Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus species |
| VISA Cultures - Vancomycin intermediate Staphylococcus aureus |
| VRSA Cultures - Vancomycin resisitant Staphylococcus aureus |
| Oxacillin resistant Streptococcus pneumonia |
| Vancomycin resistant Entercoccus species |
| Positive biological indicator cultures |
| Positive Campylobacter on stool cultures |
| Positive E. coli 0157:H7 |
| Positive TB Culture |
| Positive TB Smear |
| Positive cerebrospinal fluid culture and smear |
| Positive body cavity fluid culture |
| Salmonella & Shigella on stool cultures following postive confirmation from the Health Department |