Specialized laboratory testing which must be sent out to reference labs may take several days or weeks for the results to return. The infant patient may be ready for discharge before the results are known. This is frequently the case with meconium drug screens and occasionally the case with genetic or metabolic testing.

The physicians should ensure that the case mangers are aware of the test results pending at discharge. They will keep track of these infants, follow up on the results, and either notify the family and the follow-up pediatrician, or make the attending neonatologist aware when (s)he needs to do so.

Any laboratory tests that are pending at discharge should be documented in the discharge summary for the follow-up pediatrician.

Discussed at Nursery Policy & Procedure meeting 9/20/00.