Based on national guidelines (CHEST 2008; 133:257S–298S) and The Joint Commission’s recommendations [National Patient Safety Goal for anticoagulation and Sentinel Event Alert: preventing errors relating to commonly used anticoagulants (Issue 41, September 24, 2008)], the critical lab value for international normalized ratio (INR) that is directly reported by Pathology via a phone call will be changed from > 6.0 to ≥ 4.0 (for more information, refer to the Pathology Laboratory Services Handbook: Critical Laboratory Tests and Values.

Questions to Nancy Rosenthal, MD., Director of the Hematology Laboratory (ext. 4-8751 or beeper 7057).