Reference ranges for common blood tests

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A reference range is a set of values used by a health professional to interpret a set of medical 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 instruments the laboratory uses to perform 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.

Category Test Low High Unit Comments
CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY - - - - -
Electrolytes and Metabolites Sodium (Na) 133[1] 147 mmol/L
Potassium (K) 3.5[2] 5 mmol/L
Urea 2.6 6.8 mmol/L BUN - blood urea nitrogen
Urea 10 20 mg/dL
Urea - UK 2.5 6.4 mmol/L
Creatinine - UK, male 63 116 μmol/L
Creatinine - UK, female 54 98 μmol/L
Creatinine - US 50 110 μmol/L
Creatinine - US 0.5[3] 1.4 mg/dL
Glucose (fasting) 4.2 6.1 mmol/L See also glycosylated hemoglobin
Glucose (fasting) 75 115 mg/dL
Glucose (fasting) - UK 4.5 5.6 mmol/L
Liver function tests Total Protein 60 80 g/L
Albumin 35[4] 50 g/L
Total Bilirubin 2 14 μmol/L
Direct Bilirubin 0 4 μmol/L
Alanine transaminase (ALT) 8 40 U/L Also called serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT)
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) 40 130 U/L Higher in children and pregnant women.
Gamma glutamyl transferase n/a 50 U/L
Other enzymes and proteins Creatine kinase (CK) - male 24[5] 195 U/L
Creatine kinase (CK) - female 24[6] 170 U/L
Aspartate transaminase (AST) 8 35 U/L Also called serum glutamic oxatoacetic transaminase (SGOT)
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) 85 285 U/L
Amylase n/a 120[7] U/L
C-reactive protein (CRP) n/a 5[8] mg/L
D-dimer n/a 500 ng/mL
Other ions and trace metals Ionised calcium (Ca) 1.15 1.29 mmol/L Some calcium is bound to albumin, thus not measured by certain techniques.
Total calcium (Ca) 2.05 2.55 mmol/L
Copper (Cu) 11[9] 24 μmol/L
Zinc (Zn) 10 17 μmol/L
Lipids Triglycerides 0.4 2 mmol/L
Total cholesterol 3 5.0[10] mmol/L
HDL cholesterol (male) 0.7 1.9 mmol/L
(female) 0.9 2.4 mmol/L
LDL cholesterol 2.4 3[10] mmol/L Not valid when triglycerides >5.0 mmol/L.
Tumour markers Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) n/a 10 kU/l
Beta Human chorionic gonadotrophin (bHCG) n/a 5 IU/l
CA-125 (also CA12.5) n/a 35 U/ml
CA15.3 n/a 28 U/ml
CA19.9 n/a 40[3] U/ml
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) - non-smokers n/a 3 μg/l
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) - smokers n/a 5 μg/l
Prostate specific antigen (PSA) n/a 4 μg/L
Hormones Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) 0.4 4.7 mIU/L Also called: Thyrotropin
Free thyroxine (FT4) 9 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/L Cortisol levels are higher in the morning than at night.
Cortisol (1630 h) 110 390 nmol/L
Prolactin (male) n/a 450 mIU/L
(female) n/a 580 mIU/L
Testosterone (male) 8 38 nmol/L
(male prepuberty) 0.1 0.5 nmol/L
(female) 0.3 2.5 nmol/L
HEMATOLOGY - - - - -
Red blood cells Haemoglobin (Hb) (male) 140 180 g/L Higher in neonates, lower in children.
(female) 115 160 g/L Sex difference negligible until adulthood.
Haematocrit (Hct) (male) 0.38 0.52
(female) 0.35 0.47
Mean cell volume (MCV) 80 98 fL Cells are larger in neonates, though smaller in other children.
Mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) 26 34 pg
Red cell count (male) 4.5 6.5 x1012/L
(female) 3.8 5.8 x1012/L
Reticulocytes 10 100 x109/L
erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) n/a 20 mm/hr Females tend to have a higher ESR. ESR increases with age.
White blood cells The Total white blood cells 4 11 x109/L Higher in neonates and infants.
Neutrophil granulocytes 2 7.5 x109/L 45-74%. Also known as granulocytes (grans), polys, PMNs, or segs.
Lymphocytes 1.3 4 x109/L 16-45%
Monocytes 0.2 0.8 x109/L 4.0-10%
Eosinophil granulocytes 0.04 0.4 x109/L 0.0-7.0%
Basophil granulocytes 0.01 0.1 x109/L 0.0-2.0%
Coagulation Platelets 150 400 x109/L Platelets are part of the formation of blood clots
Prothrombin time (PT) 7 10 s PT reference varies between laboratory kits - INR is standardised
INR 0.9 1.2 The 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
Fibrinogen 1.8 4 g/L
Bleeding time 2 9 minutes
IMMUNOLOGY - - - - -
Acute phase protein markers of Inflammation Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) 0 (Age, +10 if female)/2 mm/hr
C-reactive protein (CRP) 0 6 mg/L
Autoantibodies Antinuclear antibodies (ANA)
Extractable nuclear antigen (ENA)
Rheumatoid factor (RF) 0 20 IU/mL High levels not specific for Rheumatoid Arthritis alone.
Serology Antistreptolysin O titre (ASOT) - preschoolers n/a 100 units/mL
Antistreptolysin O titre (ASOT) - others n/a 200 units/mL

  1. ^ GPnotebook 624230467
  2. ^ GPnotebook 584056899&
  3. ^ a b http://mycourses.med.harvard.edu/ResCourses/_online_textbooks/PBD/nrrt.htm
  4. ^ GPnotebook 288686147
  5. ^ GPnotebook 1436155929
  6. ^ GPnotebook 1436155929
  7. ^ GPnotebook 309002307
  8. ^ GPnotebook 946536472
  9. ^ GPnotebook 1040580630
  10. ^ a b GPnotebook -214630397

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