Laboratory Critical Values

Medical provider?

	LOW	HIGH
HEMATOLOGY:
Absolute Neutrophil Count	<0.5 K/ul
Blood Hematocrit		>60% Adult >70% Infant
Blood Hemoglobin	<7gm/dl	>20 gm/dl
CSF WBC		> 5
PTT		> 100
PTT (pre-op)		> 50
Platelet Count	<20,000/mm3	> 1 million
PT		INR >5
PT (pre-op)		>1.3
WBC	<1500/mm3	>30,000/mm3

	LOW	HIGH
CHEMISTRY:
Bicarbonate	<10mEq/L	>40mEq/L
Bilirubin (Total)		>12 mg/dl (newborn)
BNP		>1300pg/ml
CSF Glucose	<20 mg/dl	>400 mg/dl
Glucose (Newborn) Glucose (Adult)	<40 mg/dl <50 mg/dl	>100 mg/dl >400 mg/dl
Calcium	<6.0 mg/dl	>14 mg/dl
Ionized Calcium	<2 mg/dl	>7 mg/dl
Lactic Acid (venous or arterial)		>4 mmd/l
Magnesium	<1.2 mg/dl	>6.0 mg/dl
PCO2	<20 mm Hg	>70 mm Hg
PH (Adult)	<7.30	>7.60
PH (Cord)	<7.20
PO2	< 50 mm Hg
Phosphorus	<1.0 mg/dl
Potassium (PreOP) Potassium (Routine)	<3.5 mEq/L <3.0 mEq/1	>6.0 mEq/L >6.0 mEq/L
Sodium	<120 mEq/L	>160 mEq/L
T4	<4 ng/dl	>14 ng/dl
T4 Free		>6 ng/dl
Troponin		>0.30 ng/ml

URINALYSIS

Ketones in a newborn
Positive glucose on dipstick or clinitest on a newborn
WBC, RBC, Waxy casts
Abnormal (pathological) crystals such as cystine, leucine etc.

	LOW	HIGH
TOXICOLOGY
Acetaminophen (Tylenol)		>30 mcg/ml
Carbamezepine		>12 mcg/ml
Digoxin		>2.0 ng/ml
Gentamicin		>2mcg/ml (trough) Peak: dosing interval dependent
Lithium		>1.2 mEq/L
Phenobarbital		>50 mcg/ml
Phenytoin (Dilantin)		>50 mcg/ml
Salicylate		>30 mcg/ml
Tobramycin (trough)		>2 mcg/ml
Valproic Acid		>200 mcg/ml (children) >110 mcg/ml (adult)
Vancomycin		>25 mcg/ml (trough)

BLOOD BANK:

Positive DAT and /or Indirect Coombs
Positive DAT in previously transfused patient
Positive DAT in newborn
Positive Prenatal Antibody Screen

MICROBIOLOGY:

Positive Blood Cultures
Positive CSF Gram Stain
Positive Cryptococcal Antigen (Reference Lab Test)
Positive AFB Smear (Reference Lab Test)
Yeast on an Abdominal Source
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci
Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus

Strep Pneumo UA Ag

Legionella UA Ag