What are Stat Blood Draws?
Stat or urgent testing is a common phrase used to refer to the timely or “rush” completion of laboratory tests. The term “stat” is derived from the Latin word “statim,” which means “immediately.”
This concept is used in daily practice to define a series of activities or processes required to obtain rapid test results for the immediate management of life-threatening conditions, and thus typically involves rapid-access information on blood gases, glucose, electrolytes, coagulation tests, acute cytolysis enzymes (e.g., alanine aminotransferase or lipase), and cardiac troponins, among others.
It thus designates the highest level of medical priority, implying that laboratory personnel should ideally interrupt their work to run the test immediately.