Knowledge And Practices Regarding Critical Alert Values Among Staff Nurses In Selected Hospitals Of Guwahati, Assam: A Descriptive Study.

Background of the study: Critical value is defined as a laboratory test result that represents a pathophysiologic state at such variance with normal as to be life-threatening unless something is done promptly and for which some corrective action could be taken. Failure and delayed notification and communication of critical values to the responsible caregiver in timely manner indicates an important patient safety issue. Because of the life-threatening nature of critical laboratory values, it is important for the staff nurses who are involved in 24 hours patient care to have good knowledge and practices regarding critical alert values for better patient outcomes.