Hematology

Low

High

Hct (Packed cell volume)

<20 vol%

>60 vol%

Hb

<7 gm/dl

>20 gm/dL

Platelet count (adult)

<40,000/cu mm

>1,000,000/cu mm

Platelet count (pediatric)

<20,000/cu mm

>1,000,000/cu mm

aPTT

None

>78 secs

PT

None

>30 secs or >3×control level

Fibrinogen

<100 mg/dl

>700 mg/ dL

WBC

<2000/cu mm

>30,000/cu mm

Presence of blast cells, sickle cells

New diagnosis of leukemia, sickle cell anemia, aplastic crisis

Blood Chemistry

Low

High

Ammonia

None

>40 µ mol/L

Amylase

None

>200 U/L

Arterial pCO₂

<20 mm Hg

>70 mm Hg

Arterial pH

<7.2 U

>7.6 U

Arterial pO₂ (adults)

<40 mm Hg

None

Arterial pO₂ (newborns)

<37 mm Hg

92 mm Hg (SD=12)

Bicarbonate

<10 mEq/L

>40 mEq/L

Bilirubin,total (newborns)

None

>15 mg/dL

Calcium

<6 mg/dL

>13 mg/dL

Carbon dioxide

<10mEq/L

>40 mEq/L

Cardiac troponin T (cTnT)

None

>0.1 µg/L

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI)

None

>1.6 µg/L

Chloride

<80 mEq/L

>115 mEq/L

CK

None

>3-5 × upper limit of normal (ULN)

CK-MB

None

>5% or ≥10 µg/L

Creatinine (except dialysis patients)

None

>5.0 mg/dL

Gluocose

<40 mg/dL

>450 mg/dL

Gluocose (newborn)

<30 mg/dL

>300 mg/dL

Magnesium

<1.0 mg/dL

>4.7 mg/dL

Phosphorus

<1 mg/dL

None

Potassium

<2.8 mEq/L

>6.2 mEq/L

Potassium (newborns)

<2.5 mEq/L

>8.0 mEq/L

Sodium

<120 mEq/L

>160 mEq/L

BUN (except dialysis patients)

2 mg/ dL

>80 mg/dL

Cerebrospinal Fluid

Low

High

Glucose

<80% of blood level

Protein, total positive bacterial stain, antigen detection, culture or India ink preparation

None

>45 mg/dL

WBC in CSF

Presence of malignant cells or blast or any other body fluid

None

>10/ cu mm

Microbiolog

Positive blood culture

Positive Gram stain or culture from any site

Positive culture or isolate for Carynebacterium diphtheriae, Cryptococcus neoformans,Bordetella pertussis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae (only nongenital sites), dimorphic fungi (Histoplasma, Coccidioides, Blastomyces, Paracoccidioides)

Presence of blood parasites (e.g. malaria organisims, Babesia, microfiaria)

Postive antigen detection (e.g. Cryptoccus, group B steptococci, Haemophilus influenzae type B, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae)

Stool culture positive for Salmonella, Shigella, Oampylobacter, Vibrio, or Yersinia

Urinalysis

Strongly positive test for glucose and ketone

Presence of reducing sugars in infants

Presence of pathological crystals (urate, cysteine, leucine, tyrosine)

Serology

Incompatible cross match

Positive direct and indirect antiglobulin (Coombs’) test on cord blood

Titers of significant RBC alloantibodies during pregnancy

Transfusion reaction workup showing incompatible unit of transfused blood

Failure to call within 72 hrs for Rh Ig after possible or known exposure to Rh-positive RBCs

Positive confirmed test for hepatitis, syphilis, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

Increased blood antibody levels for infectious agents

Therapeutic Drugs

Blood Levels

Acetaminophen

>150 µg/mL

Carbamazepine

>20 µg/mL

Chloramphenicol

>50 µg/mL (peak)

Digitoxin

>35 ng/mL

Digoxin

>2.5 ng/mL

Ethosuximide

>200 µg/mL

Gentamicin

>12 µg/mL

Imipramine

>400 ng/mL

Lidocaine

>9 µg/mL

Lithium

>2 mEq/L

Phenytoin

>60 µg/mL

Phenytoin

>40 µg/mL

Primidone

>24 µg/mL

Quinidine

>10 µg/mL

Salicylate

>700 µg/mL

Theophylline

>25 µg/mL

Tobramycin

>12 µg/mL (peak)

In Addition the physician is promptly notified of any of the following:

Serum glucose, fasting

>130 mg/dL

Serum glucose, random

>250 mg/dL

Serum Cholesterol

>300 mg/dL

Serum total protein

>9.0 mg/dL

Blood lead

Increased

Urinalysis

Plus, blood, or protein≥2+

Urine colony count/ culture

>50,000 colonies/mL of single organism

Respiratory culture

Heavy growth of pathogen

Peripheral blood smear

Atypical Lymphocytes, plasma cells