Critical Values

Labcorp defines critical (panic) results as laboratory test results that exceed established limit(s) (high or low) as defined by the laboratory for certain analytes as listed in the “Critical (Panic) Limits.” Critical results are considered life threatening and require immediate notification of the physician, the physician’s representative, the ordering entity, or other clinical personnel responsible for the patient’s care. Critical results may also be referred to as “panic” values.

Critical results are communicated to the physician, the physician’s representative, the ordering entity, or other clinical personnel responsible for patient care once the result has been verified and the patient’s result has been entered into the laboratory computer system.

Note that abnormal results are not considered Critical Values. Results that are outside the laboratory’s established reference interval may be considered abnormal. “Abnormal” and “critical” are not to be used interchangeably.