Extreme Lab Values

canchaser, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2012

Lactic acid 35.5

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Sep 10, 2012

PT of 180...INR of 18... :eek: That patient got several doses of Vitamin K and FFP and blood...that one made me nervous. It was working, though. They had a nephrostomy that had tea-colored output and by the end of my shift it was clear yellow

I have seen BNPs in the 100,000s. Not sure how that is possible.

Creatinine of 10...

WBCs of 0.1

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2012

Lactate of 18, pt died. INR of wait for it.......30 YES 30. That was my brother in law, 4 units PRBC's, multiple units of FFP, not sure what caused his INR to go that high. He was never treated with coumadin or anything before. He went to the ER for bloody urine.

A recent admit had platlets of 3 at an outside hospital, received 5u PLT, transferred to us and received anoter 12u PLT and next check PLT 93. And Blood bank argued with me about giving 12 units.

mochamonster · Sep 10, 2012

K+ of 1.5 yesterday and dropping with boluses. Didn't work today and I'm not back until Thursday.

serenidad2004 · Sep 10, 2012

WBC 48 pt died shortly there after

Potassium 8.2 dialyzed and was fine only indication was sl irregular apical

Hgb 3.9 pt was "just a little tired and short of breath"

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2012

K+ of 1.5 yesterday and dropping with boluses. Didn't work today and I'm not back until Thursday.

Had a pt who was getting K boluses his K during a bolus was 1.8, and elevated ST segment. 3 boluses were hung and ran wide open at the same time on his central line, and the next day he was >7 and on SLED.

Aeterna, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2012

I DON'T work with many dialysis or oncology patients, so not really used to seeing that extreme labs.

For onco patients, pancytopenia is a given if they've gotten chemo.

We routinely see WBC

Probably the worst I've seen with my own two eyes?

(Note: these are not on the same patient, thank goodness!)

WBC 0.1 (not uncommon with onco pts)

Hgb ~55

Plts

On the flip side, we've had people with leukemia with WBC in the 70's!

For dialysis patients, lytes, creatinine, and other things go all over the place. Off the top of my head, I can't think of extreme values for these ones. I remember getting a patient transferred to our unit from ICU and the nurse said the patient's creatinine on admission was somewhere in the realm of 1000!

For lytes, probably the worst I've heard of was a patient's K+ was about 8(!)...and apparently she had been living at home this way for a while and now, her body is used to that kind of potassium level and can sustain that level with no ill effect. The doctor said it was the first time he's ever seen that happening. None of us could believe it! I don't think she was a renal patient, though.

whitecat5000 · Sep 11, 2012

I had a patient with a pH of 7.04. I didn't know that was possible. :eek:

Christy1019, ASN, RN · Sep 11, 2012

Had a pt who was getting K boluses his K during a bolus was 1.8, and elevated ST segment. 3 boluses were hung and ran wide open at the same time on his central line, and the next day he was >7 and on SLED.

3 boluses of ivpb kcl running wide open at once????? Or fluid boluses with 20meq kcl additive???

For me, Hgb 1.8, d dimer >20,000 with no discernable cause, k+ 8.9, ph 6.7, wbc 60, platelets 12 in a pt w/TTP, Etoh 0.65 walky talky, and the guy s/p motorcycle accident denied pelvic pain, just ankle pain and road rash.... Left Pelvis (I forget the name but the large flat part that we equate with our "hips" lol, completely snapped off where it attaches to the back, right pelvic/hip joint broken completely off and free floating... I couldn't believe he could still move his legs the whole time!!!

Eeeek!!

Luckyyou, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2012

pH of 6.66 (swear!) post code on a 25 weeker. bad omen for sure. saw platelets of 7 once when I worked oncology.

RTsoonRN · Sep 11, 2012

pCO2 of 181. Pt was "a little tired"

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Sep 11, 2012

Last month, hemoglobin of 1.8. 18 month old. Just pale but as feisty as can be!