Now THAT'S a lab result

Published

INR >100. Alive.

Skip details, just lab & living or dead.

A1c of 21 - alive but pt was a hot, walking, talking, demanding mess

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Sodium 103...after a redraw with the original being 100. Alive and talking, only pleasantly confused...under the impression that they were spying on the Germans in WWII.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

One I expressly remember is a pH of 6.75. Alive, barely - only because we were still attempting to resuscitate. The patient expired shortly after (we tried it all).

Also notable - the day the lab (blood bank) called and asked we to re-draw and re-send our patient's type and crossmatch sample as it matched, exactly, one of the unmatched units they'd released for us to infuse. That couldn't have been, like, because we had replaced the patient's entire blood volume? Patient was alive (technically) when they left the OR and died in ICU that same day.

One I remember from when I worked stepdown was a K+ of 2.0. Alive. Put the patient on tele and still in a pretty regular rhythm. Nothing a little electrolyte infusion won't fix.

I'm no good at this game... But I'd be far better at discussing impressive imaging than the labs...I remember impressive imaging far better than I remember labs.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.
INR >100. Alive.

Skip details, just lab & living or dead.

He needs some bubble wrap and vitamin K.....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in nursing education.

Blood glucose of 2 (serum draw).

Recovered with no deficits.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in nursing education.
The highest I've seen is 16. Any time her BG was less than 350, she would say, "Oh that's good!!"

I've seen a1c's 19, 20, 21.

15-18 was pretty typical at our clinic for a while.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Gerontology.

BS 55 ( Canadian scale - about 1000 for you Americans). Alive

My nephew - diagnosed IDDM at 15. Currently doing great! One of the best maintained diabetics according to his MDs.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
Blood glucose of 2 (serum draw).

Recovered with no deficits.

I believe the patient's body abruptly went into suspended animation r/t shock..... it said, "Wait! What?"

and that very shock was what saved 'em.

Milagros e Dios!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My Dad tried to off himself with 2 Liters of vodka. Literally went to his house and saw the empty containers while going to pick up his clothes... He was up and around and fully coherent by the next morning. I was dying to know what his labs read! His BP was certainly in stroke ranges, could see it in the Nurses face monitoring him, didnt even need to look ;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

BP 300/100 and something on an art line and alive.

INR of 30 and alive (my brother in law) and still not exactly sure why.

Troponin of >100 and alive but not for long.

K of 1.8 while getting replaced and alive. There were some alarming ST elevation on the monitor.

ICP >70 and alive (as far as I know. I remember this man was d/c to ltac but I am not sure if he is alive now).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

Newborn 35 weeker, mom abrupted at home. Kids hct was 10---alive..I thought my friend had handed me the waste syringe from the line...I swear Incould have counted the RBC by eyeballing it, kid had received almost his blood volume in FFP on the ride in ambulance.

4 day old with climbing glucoses starting at 350, went as high as 2000 I believe. insulin gtt full blast, baby died with a glucose of over 1500. Had some weird inborn error of metabolism.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiology.
Troponin of 126 (one hundred and twenty six).

Weird rhythm, tele room couldn't figure it, hospitalist couldn't figure it, two cardiologists in AM gave different answers.

I've had trops > 200 on numerous occasions. Gotta love those 100% blockages!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion