Lowest labs?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Med Surg, ER, OR.

The other day i walked onto my unit to find a pt with a plat count of 11,000 without any real reason. Oh I had the lowest level in the hospital I found out after talking to the lab. And this is a med surg unit. Also walked into a K of 2.7 with only 40mEq ordered PO. What? Was it questioned or was an EKG or Mag level ordered, no. The order was recieved at 0600 by the night shift nursing staff. I had to sort it out during days...argh.

So what are the lowest labs you have seen on your pts?

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Specializes in picu.

I had a baby in DIC with a platelet count of 7,000. He got multiple transfusions obviously. Also had another baby with TAR syndrome that had platelets around that level. He got transfused with platelets a few times a week until he was about a year old I think.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

A GI bleeder with a Hgb of 3.1. I think that's the lowest hemoglobin I've ever seen.

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Working at a Cancer Center we see platelets below 10,000 pretty regularly. Usually get transfusions.

Lowest HCT seen was 10.0.

Seen INR's in the 8-9 range.

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Specializes in ER.

K of 1.8, pt. unable to move. Recovered quickly once replaced:yeah:

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Specializes in ER.

Glucose of 20. I don't know if that is as impressive as the other lab values though!

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Specializes in NICU.

I've seen a glucose of 12 before.... YIKES. In those situations it seems as if you just can't move fast enough. This was on a med-surg floor.

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Specializes in trauma,cvicu,micu.

I had a Hgb of 2.8 before on a GI bleed also. I had the lab recheck the results!

the lowest pulse ox reading that correlated with abg was 12%. !! needless to say we didn't save the pt.

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Specializes in Oncology.

Just this morning had a plt count of 3 and a hgb of 6 on one of my patients. See plt counts of 1 maybe once a week. Have probably 3-5 of our patients below 10 on any given day. Lowest hgb I've seen was 4. See WBC

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Specializes in cardiac, oncology.

Have taken care of numerous patients with platelet count of 1-2 (leukemics). The lowest hemogloblin was 3.2, she even had a cardiolyte the week before. She went on to be diagnosed with aplastic anemia. The lowest K+ was also in a leukemic of 1.2. She was transferred from a critical access hospital and they didn't even give so much as a po potassium.

KT:banghead:

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Specializes in Lactation Ed, Pp, MS, Hospice, Agency.

Direct admit, br ca w/bone mets H & H of 3.5 & 19.1.

My bulemic daughter was admitted w/a K+ of 1.7. (And was in bigimeny). Took 2.5 days to get it up to 3.7 (enough to get her transferred to peds from PICU)

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Hgb of 3.5/Hct 10.3, the guy was A/Ox3, just "felt weak." Also seen a glucose of 4, yes 4. The guy had tons of other issues, wasn't even a diabetic, but when the lab called with a fasting blood sugar of 9 we thought we'd check the fingerstick too!! He ended up the in ICU for a lil while.

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