When critical (life-threatening) results are seen, within how many minutes should they be reported?

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Timely communication of critical results is essential for patient safety. When a result is life-threatening, the lab must notify the treating clinician promptly so treatment can begin immediately. A defined, rapid reporting window helps ensure action happens without delay and provides accountability for who notified and when. Ten minutes is a commonly used target because it is fast enough to prompt urgent clinical response while allowing the lab to complete essential steps—verify the result, confirm it meets a critical threshold, contact the clinician via the designated channel, and document the notification. Reporting faster than this, such as five minutes, may be impractical in busy labs and may risk errors in verification or escalation. Waiting longer, like fifteen or thirty minutes, could delay critical treatment and worsen outcomes. Therefore, reporting critical results within ten minutes best supports timely intervention for life-threatening findings.