RESULT VALUES HANDLED AS CRITICAL

 TEST

LOW
(Less than)

HIGH
(Greater than)

Absolute Neutrophil Count

See table below for BMTU and AIOC Inpatient exceptions.

<1.0 x 109/L

 

Acetaminophen

 

>40 ug/mL

AFB Culture or Smear, Cerebrospinal Fluid

 

 Positive

Amikacin trough

 

>10 ug/mL

Antibody, red blood cell, unexpected and clinically significant, STAT and surgical blood transfusions

 

Positive

Antithrombin III Activity

<20 U/dL

 

APTT

 

>119.9 seconds

Bleeding Time

 

>15 minutes

Blood Culture              

 

Positive

Blood culture, blood product associated with transfusion reaction

 

Positive

Blood parasites (Malaria, Babesia, Microfilaria, Trypanosomes, etc.)

 

Positive

Caffeine

 

 >50 ug/mL

Calcium

<6.0 mg/dL

>12.0 mg/dL

Carbamazepine

 

 >15 ug/mL

Carboxyhemoglobin

 

>12

CO2

<10 mmol/L

>39 mmol/L

Coagulation Factor Activities ( II, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII and vWF)

<20 U/dL

 

Cryptococcal Antigen

 

Positive

Culture, following sources:

  • Any source (Acanthamoeba, Naegleria, Balamuthia, Nocardia, partial acid fast organisms only)
  • Blood
  • CSF
  • Eye (Gram negative rod only)

 

Positive

Cyclosporine

 

>500 ng/mL

Digoxin

 

>3.0 ng/mL

Ethanol

 

 >400 mg/dL

Ethylene glycol

 

 >3 mg/dL

Factor Inhibitors

 

>0.5 U/mL

Fibrinogen       

<100 mg/dL

 

Gentamicin trough

 

 >2.0 ug/mL

Glucose

<41 mg/dL

>499 mg/dL

Gram Stain, following sources:

  • Body fluids (ascites, CSF, paracentesis, peritoneal)
  • Tissues (brain, epidural, eye, heart)
  • Specimens submitted from Surgery
  • Blood products associated with  transfusion reaction

 

 Positive

Hematocrit

See table below for BMTU and AIOC Inpatient exceptions.

<24 %

>60%

Hemoglobin

See table below for BMTU and AIOC Inpatient exceptions.

<8 gm/dL

>20 gm/dL

Hemoglobin, plasma

 

>9.9 mg/dL

Heparin Associated Platelet Antibodies

 

Positive

Heparin Level

 

>1.2 U/mL

INR

 

>6

Ionized Calcium

<0.76 mmol/L

>1.65 mmol/L

Isopropanol

 

 Any

Ketones (infants under 6 months old)

 

3+

Lidocaine

 

 >7.0 ug/mL

Lithium

 

> 1.5 mmol/dL

Low Molecular Weight (LMW) Heparin Level

 

>1.5 U/mL

Magnesium

<1.1 mEq/L

>4.9 mEq/L

Methanol

 

 Any

Methemoglobin

 

 >3

Methotrexate

 

24 Hour: >5 μmol/L

48 hour: >1 μmol/L

 pCO2

<21 mmHg

>69 mmHg

Pentobarbital

 

>30 ug/mL

PH, Arterial

<7.201

>7.599

Phenobarbital

 

 >50 ug/mL

Phenytoin

 

 >30 ug/mL

Phenytoin, Free

 

 >4.0%

Phosphorus

<1.1 mg/dL

 

Plasminogen

<20 U/dL (>6 months)

<10 U/dL (0-6 months)

 

Platelets

See table below for BMTU and AIOC Inpatient exceptions.

<50 x 109/L

>1,000 x 109/L

PO2, Arterial

<40

 

Potassium        

<2.6 mmol/L

>6.3 mmol/L

Protein C Activity

<20 ug/dL (>4 years)

<10 ug/dL (0-4 years)

 

Protein C Clot

<20 ug/dL (>4 years)

<10 ug/dL (0-4 years)

 

Protein S Clot

<20 ug/dL (>6 months)

<10 ug/dL (0-6 months)

 

Protein S Free

<20 ug/dL (>6 months)

<10 ug/dL (0-6 months)

 

Protein S Total

<20 ug/dL (>6 months)

<10 ug/dL (0-6 months)

 

Reducing Substances (infants under 6 months old)

 

Positive

Salicylate

 

 >40 mg/dL

Sodium

<121 mmol/L

>159 mmol/L

Tacrolimus

 

 >25 ng/mL

Theophylline

 

 >30 ug/mL

Thiocyanate

 

 >100 ug/mL

Tobramycin trough

 

 >2.0 ug/mL

Transfusion reaction investigation, hemolytic

 

Positive

Triglycerides

 

>1499 mg/dL

Valproic Acid

 

>150 ug/mL

Vancomycin peak

 

 >80 ug/mL

Viral culture, source: CSF, brain

 

Positive

Viral culture for HSV, source: Blood, BAL, tissue other than skin

 

Positive

Viral culture for HSV, CMV or VZV, source: Eye

 

Positive

WBC

See table below for BMTU and AIOC Inpatient exceptions.

<1.5 x 109/L

>30 x 109/L

 

Hematology Alert Values - AIOC and BMTU Inpatient Units

If value is…

CHECK BEFORE CALLING

ALWAYS CALL

 

WBC

Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC)

Platelets (PLT)

Hemoglobin (Hgb)

Hematocrit (Hct)

less than

1.5 x 109/L

1.0 x 109/L

25 x 109/L

7 gm/dL

21%

greater than

30 x 109/L

 

600 x109/L

20 gm/dL

60%

►WBC and ANC results are called when:

1. It is the first time the alert value is detected on the patient.

2. The patient has not had a similar alert value within the previous 24 hours.

3. The test was not ordered in the previous 24 hours.

4. Previous result within 24 hours was not an alert value. (The patient's result has changed from an alert value to a non‑alert value, then back to an alert value.)

►PLT, Hgb, HCT are ALWAYS CALLED regardless if there was a previous critical result.

 

Positive test results considered significant, but not defined as critical will be called to the care provider on the same day that the results are available. These alert results are:

  • D-dimer (Outpatients only; excludes patients in Emergency Department) ≥ 500 ng FEU/mL
  • INR 4.0 - 5.9
  • Positive AFB smears
  • Positive AFB cultures other than M. gordonae
  • Positive Coccidioides immitis, Blastomyces dermatidis, or Histoplasma capsulatum DNA probes
  • Positive cultures for bacteria and fungus from body fluids and tissues (normally sterile sites)