Critical Values

Critical/Panic values are defined as values that are outside the normal range to a degree that may constitute an immediate health risk to the individual or require immediate action on the part of the ordering physician. Critical laboratory values are communicated in compliance with hospital policies approved by the Stanford Children’s Health and Stanford Health Care hospital boards of directors.

Notification by the Laboratory of Critical (Panic) Values

• Critical test results are communicated to a member of the patient’s healthcare team who is authorized to take patient results within 15 minutes of results becoming available.
• Documentation will be made of the notification listing the full name and title of the recipient, as well as the date and time the result was acknowledged.
• For verification, acknowledgement of the critical result (and read back, when applicable) is required.
• If unable to contact the patient’s care team, the physician’s answering service or physician that is covering for the ordering physician will be called or paged.
• If unable to contact a responsible individual within 30 minutes, documentation will be made of all communication attempts (times and phone numbers called). The critical result will be reported to the Clinical Pathology Resident or Laboratory Director as the “clinically responsible individual” with documented notification. 
• For questions, contact Lab Customer Service at 1-877-717-3733