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. It is the policy of the clinical laboratory to call the critical values listed to a licensed provider as soon as completed and verified in compliance with hospital policies approved by the Stanford Children’s Health and Stanford Health Care hospital boards of directors. Read back of the critical values by the person receiving them to the person making the notification call is required.

Notification by the Laboratory of Critical (Panic) Values

• The ordering physician’s office will be called and the results communicated to an RN or MD.
• Documentation will be made of the call listing the first initial, last name, title of the person receiving the call and the time the call was made.
• For verification the person receiving the call will be asked to repeat the critical value results back.
• If there is no answer, 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 party within 30 minutes, the supervisor will be notified. Documentation will be made of all attempts (times and phone numbers called) into the computer and a Panic Notification Form will be completed. The supervisor will contact the on call clinical pathology resident or the laboratory director.
• The supervisor will document in the computer the reporting of the critical value to the Clinical Pathology Resident or Laboratory Director. The Clinical Pathology Resident or Laboratory Director is the “clinically responsible individual.” The notification time will be the time the Clinical Pathology Resident or Laboratory Director is notified.