panic value
(redirected from Panic values)panic value
Alert value, critical value Lab medicine Lab results from a specimen that must be reported immediately to a clinician–ie, of such severity as to mandate urgent therapy. See Decision levels. Panic values
Chemistry panic values
Analyte SI units US units
Calcium < 1.65 mmol/L < 6.6 mg/dl
> 2.22 mmol/L > 12.9 mg/dl
Glucose < 2.60 mmol/L < 46 mg/dl
> 26.9 mmol/L > 484 mg/dl
K+ < 2.8 mmol/L < 2.8 mEq/L
> 6.2 mmol/L > 6.2 mEq/L
> 8.0 mmol/L if hemolyzed
Na+ < 120 mmol/L < 120 mEq/L
> 158 mmol/L > 158 mEq/L
CO2 in plasma < 11 mmol/L < 11 mMol
> 40 mmol/L > 40 mMol
Hematology, eg blasts or sickle cells on a peripheral smear, possibly indicating leukemia or sickle cell anemia
Microbiology, eg positive gram stain or culture from blood, serosal fluids or CSF, acid-fast stain or positive mycobacterial culture results
Transfusion medicine Incompatible cross-match and positive serology for VDRL; the panic values differ in each lab and the route of the communication is at the discretion
of the lab director
of the lab director
McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
panic value
A laboratory test result so far outside the normal range that it requires immediate notification of a health care provider.
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