The Outcomes of the Critical Value Reporting Approach for Platelet Count in Patients with Dengue Fever at Lam Thap Hospital, Krabi Province

Abstract

This study is an action research that involves planning, implementation, observation, and reflection. This is a descriptive research design that utilizes retrospective data collection. The objective was to examine the outcomes of implementing a medical laboratory critical value reporting protocol for platelet count in patients with dengue fever at Lam Thap Hospital, Krabi Province. The sample consisted of data from dengue patients who received treatment at Lam Thap Hospital and had critical platelet values reported between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The sample size of 95 cases was determined using Krejcie and Morgan’s formula and selected through simple random sampling (lottery method). Research instruments included data recording forms for treatment outcomes and the laboratory's critical platelet value report log. The content validity index (CVI) of the instruments was 0.95, 1.00, 0.95, and 1.00, respectively.

           The results after implementing the protocol revealed the following quality indicators:
(1) 83 cases (87.4%) had critical platelet values reported accurately and within 15 minutes.
(2) 42 cases (44.2%) received clinical responses to the critical low platelet counts within 21–30 minutes. (3) 89 cases (93.7%) continued receiving treatment at Lam Thap Hospital, while 6 cases (6.3%) were referred to Krabi Hospital. Among those referred, 2 cases (2.1%) were transferred within 30 minutes after receiving the critical value report.