Encyclopedia > Reference ranges for common blood tests

  Article Content

Reference ranges for common blood tests

A reference range is a set of values used by a health professional[?] to interpret a set of test results. The range is usually defined as the set of values 95% of the normal population falls within.

It must be remembered that the reference range will vary, depending on the age, sex and race of a population, and even the machines the laboratory[?] uses to do the tests. Also remember that by definition 5% of the normal population will fall outside the reference range.

These are approximate adult values that are intended as a guide to students and those interested, they are not a substitute for medical advice.

Table of contents

Clinical biochemistry[?]

Electrolytes and Metabolytes

TestRangeComments
Sodium (Na)130 - 145 mmol/L
Potassium (K)3.5 - 5.0 mmol/L
Urea2.6 - 6.8 mmol/L
Creatinine50 - 110 μmol/L
Glucose (fasting)4.2 - 6.1 mmol/L

Liver function tests

Total Protein60 - 80 g/L
Albumin30 - 50 g/L
Total Bilirubin2 - 14 μmol/L
Direct Bilirubin0 - 4 μmol/L
Alanine transaminase (ALT)8 - 40 U/LAlso called serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT)
Alkaline phosphatase[?] (ALP)40 - 130 U/LHigher in children and pregnant women.
Gamma glutamyl transferase[?]< 50 U/L

Other enzymes and proteins

Creatine kinase[?] (CK)
Aspartate transaminase[?] (AST)8 - 35 U/L
Lactate dehydrogenase[?] (LDH)85 - 285 U/L
Amylase25 - 125 U/L
C-reactive protein[?] (CRP)<8 mg/L

Other ions and trace metals[?]

Ionised calcium (Ca)1.15 - 1.29 mmol/LSome calcium is bound to albumin, thus not measured by certain techniques.
Total calcium (Ca)2.05 - 2.55 mmol/L
Copper (Cu)11 - 26 μmol/L
Zinc (Zn)10 - 17 μmol/L

Lipids

Triglycerides0.4 - 2.0 mmol/L
Total cholesterol3.0 - 5.5 mmol/L
HDL cholesterol (male)0.7 - 1.9 mmol/L
(female)0.9 - 2.4 mmol/L
LDL cholesterol2.4 - 4.0 mmol/lNot valid when triglycerides >5.0 mmol/L.

Tumour markers[?]

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)1-15 kIU/L
CA-125[?]<65 kU/L
Prostate specific antigen[?] (total PSA)<2.0 μg/LAfter age 40, normal levels increase every decade.

Hormones

Thyroid stimulating hormone[?] (TSH)0.5 - 4.7 mIU/LAlso called: Thyrotropin
Free thyroxine (FT4)9.0 - 24 pmol/L
Free triiodothyronine[?] (FT3)2.5 - 5.3 pmol/L
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)1.3 - 15 pmol/L
Cortisol[?] (0830 h)250 - 850 nmol/LCortisol levels are higher in the morning than at night.
Cortisol (1630 h)110 - 390 nmol/L
Prolactin (male)<450 mIU/L
(female)<580 mIU/L
Testosterone (male)8 - 38 nmol/L
(male prepuberty)0.1 - 0.5 nmol/L
(female)0.3 - 2.5 nmol/L

Haematology

Red blood cells

Haemoglobin (Hb) (male)130 - 180 g/LHigher in neonates[?], lower in children.
(female)115 - 160 g/LSex difference negligible until adulthood.
Haematocrit[?] (Hct) (male)0.38 - 0.52
(female)0.35 - 0.47
Mean cell volume (MCV)80 - 98 fL
Mean cell haemoglobin (MCH)26 - 34 pg
Red cell count (male)4.5 - 6.5 x1012/L
(female)3.8 - 5.8 x1012/L
Reticulocytes10 - 100 x109/L
Erythrocyte
sedimentation rate (ESR)

White blood cells

Total white blood cells4.0 - 11.0 x109/LHigher in neonates[?] and infants.
Neutrophils2.0 - 7.5 x109/L
Lymphocytes[?]1.0 - 4.0 x109/L
Monocytes[?]0.0 - 0.8 x109/L
Eosinophils0.0 - 0.5 x109/L
Basophils[?]0.0 - 0.2 x109/L

Coagulation

Prothrombin time (PT)7 - 10 s
INR0.8 - 1.2The INR is a corrected ratio of a patients PT to normal
Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT)29 - 41 s
Thrombin clotting time (TCT)11 - 18 s
Fibrinogen1.8 - 4.0 g/L
Bleeding time2 - 8 minutes

Immunology

Antinuclear antibodies[?] (ANA)
Extractable nuclear antigen[?] (ENA)

Serology[?]



All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

 
  Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
 
 
  
  Featured Article
Reformed churches

... Confession[?] and French Reformed confession of faith, which served as models for the Belgic Confession of Faith[?] (1563). German Reformed Church[?] Toleration for ...

 
 
 
This page was created in 30.3 ms