Results
Routine
Results are available to ward staff and linked General Practices on the Ultra and ICE computer systems and can be accessed as soon as the analysis is completed and results authorised.
For those practices interfaced by GPlinks, the results are transmitted to mailboxes several times throughout the day and night.
New hospital medical staff should ensure that they have been adequately trained to access this system and have been issued with a password.
There are agreed protocols in each laboratory for identifying those abnormal results which will be communicated immediately to the requesting clinician by telephone.
Urgent Results
Biochemistry results which are above or below the following levels will be telephoned ASAP after validation to the location the request came from, with the exceptions noted in the, 'notes' column.
Since 11 January 2017, abnormal results are no longer be phoned to ED with the exception of potassium >7.0mmol/L and AEOBS location. If a patient has transferred to MAU, SAU, etc. abnormal results will be phoned to the new location, as outlined below:
| Test | Low Limit (less than) |
High Limit (more than) |
Notes |
| Sodium | ≤ 120 (>16yr old) ≤ 130 (<16yr old) | ≥ 160 | |
| Potassium | ≤ 2.5 | ≥ 6.5 | ED: >7.0 mmol/L only |
| Bicarbonate | < 10 | - | |
| Urea | - | ≥30 (>16yr old) ≥10 (<16yr old) | Unless similar to previous |
| Creatinine | ≥354 (>16yr old) ≥200 (<16yr old) | Unless similar to previous | |
| Ammonia | - | ≥ 100 | |
| Calcium (Adjusted) | ≤ 1.80 | ≥ 3.50 | |
| AKI | Level 2 and 3 | New AKI level 2 or 3 to GP and outpatients only | |
| Phosphate | ≤ 0.30 | - | |
| ALT | - | ≥ 900 (male) ≥ 600 (female) ≥ 500 (male) (<16yr old) | |
| AST | ≥ 750 (male) ≥ 525 (female) ≥ 500 (male) (<16yr old) | ||
| Magnesium | ≤ 0.4 | - | |
| Glucose | ≤ 2.5 | ≥ 25 (>16yr old) ≥ 15 (<16yr old) | |
| CPK | - | ≥ 5000 | Not inpatients |
| Lipase | - | ≥90 (0-9 yrs) ≥120 (10-17 yrs) ≥200 (adults) | |
| Troponin-I | - | ≥ 50 (non-inpatient) | |
| CRP | ≥ 300 | GP locations only | |
| Digoxin | - | ≥ 2.5 | |
| Lithium | - | ≥ 1.5 | |
| Theophylline | - | ≥ 25 | |
| Phenytoin | - | ≥ 25 | |
| Paracetamol | - | > 5.0 | |
| Salicylate | - | ≥300 | |
| Baby Bilirubin | All Results | ||
| Direct Bilirubin | - | ≥ 25 | <29 days old |
| CSF Xanthochromia | All Results | ||
| Lactate | - | > 3.9 | |
| Whole blood Potassium | - | > 6.2 | Patient <18 years old |
| Whole blood Potassium | - | > 6.0 | Patient >18 years old |
| Cortisol | ≤ 50 | - | Not patients on overnight dexamethasone |
There are a few different factors which can affect the validity of biochemistry tests; some are noted in the test information pages. Most commonly, significant haemolysis, icterus and lipaemia will prevent the reporting of many biochemistry test results.
Haematology results
Haematology results that fall outside the limits below will be telephoned ASAP after validation to the location the request came from.
| Test | Low Limit (less than) |
High Limit (more than) |
Notes |
| WBC | < 0.5 x 109/L | Excluding Medlock Ward and RTX patients | |
| Hb | < 50 g/L | Microcytic or macrocytic | |
| Hb | < 70 g/L | Normochromic, normocytic | |
| Platelets | < 30 x 109/L | Excluding Medlock Ward and RTX patients | |
| Platelets | > 1000 x 109/L | GP patients only, phone next working day | |
| Malaria | Any positive results | ||
| Plasma Viscosity | > 1.72 mPa | With clinical details of query Temporal arteritis | |
| INR | > 5.0 | Patients on Warfarin | |
| PT | > 18 seconds | Not on anticoagulant therapy | |
| APTT | > 46 seconds | Not on anticoagulant therapy | |
| Fibrinogen | < 1.0 | ||
| Sickle screen | Any positive inpatient results | ||
| Blood film | New haematology diagnosis indicating the presence of blasts. Clinical staff to contact GP. |