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Pathology Departments Requesting & Reporting Blood Test Information Phlebotomy Guide Contact us
Requesting & Reporting

Obtain results

ICE Desktop
ULTRA Connect
RUH staff only
 

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.


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