title: Critical laboratory values in hemostasis: toward consensus.
abstract: The term "critical values" can be defined to entail laboratory test results that significantly lie outside the normal (reference) range and necessitate immediate reporting to safeguard patient health, as well as those displaying a highly and clinically significant variation compared to previous data. The identification and effective communication of "highly pathological" values has engaged the minds of many clinicians, health care and laboratory professionals for decades, since these activities are vital to good laboratory practice. This is especially true in hemostasis, where a timely and efficient communication of critical values strongly impacts patient management. Due to the heterogeneity of available data, this paper is hence aimed to analyze the state of the art and provide an expert opinion about the parameters, measurement units and alert limits pertaining to critical values in hemostasis, thus providing a basic document for future consultation that assists laboratory professionals and clinicians alike. KEY MESSAGES Critical values are laboratory test results significantly lying outside the normal (reference) range and necessitating immediate reporting to safeguard patient health. A broad heterogeneity exists about critical values in hemostasis worldwide. We provide here an expert opinion about the parameters, measurement units and alert limits pertaining to critical values in hemostasis.
authors.affiliation: a Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Verona , Verona , Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lippi
authors.affiliation: b Colorado Coagulation, Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings , Englewood , CO , USA.
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Adcock
authors.affiliation: c Department of Medical Laboratory Diagnostics , University Hospital Sveti Duh , Zagreb , Croatia.
authors.forename: Ana-Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Simundic
authors.affiliation: d Angelo Bianchi Bonomi, Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health , Università degli Studi di Milano and IRCCS Cà Granda Maggiore Hospital Foundation , Milano , Italy.
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tripodi
authors.affiliation: e Department of Haematology, Sydney Centres for Thrombosis and Haemostasis , Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research (ICPMR), Westmead Hospital , Westmead , New South Wales , Australia.
authors.forename: Emmanuel J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Favaloro
mesh_terms: D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D032921:Consensus; D006487:Hemostasis; D006801:Humans; D012015:Reference Standards; D012016:Reference Values
keywords: Laboratory; alert values; critical values; hemostasis; patient safety