Laboratory Test Critical values, Which need immediate action
Critical values
- Various tests have values that require immediate action or immediate communication of the result to the hospital or referring doctors.
Critical values: Laboratory critical value and action
- These values should be conveyed to the concerned person without any delay.
How will you discuss the tests and their critical values?
| Test | Critical value>(more than) | Critical value < (less than) |
| Biochemical tests | ||
|
Three times the normal value | No value |
|
>40 µmol/L | No value |
|
Adult => 12 mg/dL Newborn= >15 mg/dL |
No value |
|
Adult male = >400 mg/dL Adult female = >400 mg/dL Newborn = >300 mg/dL |
|
|
> 160 meq/L | < 120 meq/L |
|
Adult = > 6.5 meq/L Newborn = >8 meq/L |
Adult = < 2.5 meq/L Newborn = <2.5 meq/L |
|
>13 mg/dL (3.25 mmol/L) | <6.5 mg/dL (1.5 mmol/L) |
|
>7 mg/dL (1.58 mmol/L) | <2.2 (0.78 mmol/L) |
|
< 1 mg/dL | |
|
>3 meq/L | <0.5 meq/L |
|
>40 meq/L | <10 meq/L |
|
>115 meq/L | <80 meq/L |
|
>4 mg/dL (>5.0 mg/dL) | No value |
|
>100 mg/dL | 2 mg/dL |
|
No value | <1.1 mg/dL |
|
>12 mg/dL | |
|
>400 mg/dL | |
|
Male = <35 mg/dl. Female = <40 mg/dl. |
|
|
>300 mg/dL (>65 mmol/L) | |
|
No value | <40 mg/dL |
|
>30 µU/mL | |
|
> 7.6 | < 7.2 |
|
>60 mm Hg | <20 mm Hg |
|
No value | <40 |
|
75% or lower | |
|
<6 meq/L | |
|
>320 mOsm /Kg H2O (>600) | <265 mOsm /Kg H2O |
|
<40 mg/dL | |
|
<10.7 mg/dL = Severe nutritional deficiency | |
|
>0.1 µg/L | No value |
|
>1.6 µg/L | No value |
|
>5% or >10 µg/L | No value |
| Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) | Critical value>(more than) | Critical value < (less than) |
|
<80% of the blood level | |
|
>45 mg/dL | No value |
|
>1000/cmm | No value |
|
Positive | |
|
Positive | |
|
Positive | |
|
Positive | |
| Amniotic fluid | ||
|
Increased Hemolytic anemia of the newborn | |
|
Red, green, yellow, or brown | |
|
<2.0 | |
|
Positive | |
| Hematology | Critical value>(more than) | Critical value < (less than) |
|
>20 g/dL | <5 g/dL |
|
>40% of the total Hb | |
|
>60% | <14% |
|
> 20 % | |
|
>one million/cmm | <20,000/cmm |
|
>50,000 /cmm | <2000 /cmm |
|
20% | |
|
>20 seconds | No value |
|
>100 seconds | No value |
|
>70 seconds | |
|
>5.5 | |
|
>700 mg/dL | <100 mg/dL |
|
>40 mcg/mL | |
|
Positive for malignant cells | |
| Urine | Result | |
|
Strongly positive | |
|
Strongly positive | |
|
Cysteine, leucine, and tyrosine | |
|
Increased number >15/HPF | |
|
Increased number >10/HPF | |
|
Positive 2+ | |
|
>50,000 colonies/mL | |
| Microbiology | Result |
|
|
Positive | |
|
Positive | |
|
Positive | |
|
Positive | |
|
Positive | |
|
Positive | |
|
Positive | |
|
|
|
|
Positive growth for pathogens | |
| Hormones | Critical value>(more than) | Critical value < (less than) |
|
> 7 mIU/L (hypothyroidism) | < 0.5 mIU/L (hyperthyroidism) |
|
|
Adult <2 mcg/dL if myxedema and coma Newborn = <7 mcg/dL |
|
<40% below the average of two previous values, demand immediate evaluation of fetal well-being during pregnancy | |
|
Peak level = <5.1 mcg/L | |
| Surgical pathology | Result | |
|
Positive for malignant cells | |
|
Positive for malignant cells | |
| Serology | Result | |
|
Positive | |
|
Positive | |
|
Positive | |
|
Positive | |
| Therapeutic drugs level | Result | |
|
>150 µg/mL | |
|
>700 µg/mL | |
|
>12 µg/mL | |
|
>50 µg/mL | |
|
>12 µg/mL | |
|
>10 µg/mL | |
|
>24 µg/mL | |
|
>25 µg/mL | |
|
>40 µg/mL | |
|
>2.5 ng/mL | |
|
>35 ng/mL | |
|
2 meq/L | |
|
9 µg/mL | |
Very informatve
Thanks.
Very informatve
Thanks.
Thanks, it’s beneficial
Thanks.