A critical value must be reported to the provider directly and promptly according to facility policy. Critical values represent results that may indicate an immediate threat to the patient's health, so delayed communication can create patient-safety risk. The phlebotomist should follow the organization's read-back, documentation, escalation, and notification procedure, especially when the result comes from point-of-care or waived testing performed by the phlebotomist. Waiting until all collections are completed is unsafe because critical values require timely clinical action. Asking a colleague to repeat the testing is not the correct first response unless the facility's procedure specifically requires confirmatory testing and the phlebotomist is authorized to perform it. Recording the value in the chart for later nurse review is also insufficient because it does not ensure immediate provider notification. Critical value handling is part of specimen processing, communication, patient safety, and point-of-care testing responsibility. NHA CPT competencies include reporting abnormal or critical results, communicating with clinical personnel, documenting results, and following testing protocols. Reference topics: Processing Specimens; Special Collections; point-of-care testing; critical value reporting.

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