arvau

Wikipedia / Reference ranges for blood tests

Reference ranges (reference intervals) for blood tests are sets of values used by a health professional to interpret a set of medical test results from blood samples. Reference ranges for blood tests are studied within the field of clinical chemistry (also known as "clinical biochemistry", "chemical pathology" or "pure blood chemistry"), the area of pathology that is generally concerned with analysis of bodily fluids.

Blood test results should always be interpreted using the reference range provided by the laboratory that performed the test.

Interpretation

A reference range is usually defined as the set of values 95 percent of the normal population falls within (that is, 95% prediction interval). It is determined by collecting data from vast numbers of laboratory tests.

Plasma or whole blood

In this article, all values (except the ones listed below) denote blood plasma concentration, which is approximately 60–100% larger than the actual blood concentration if the amount inside red blood cells (RBCs) is negligible. The precise factor depends on hematocrit as well as amount inside RBCs. Exceptions are mainly those values that denote total blood concentration, and in this article they are:

  • All values in Hematology – red blood cells (except hemoglobin in plasma)

  • All values in Hematology – white blood cells

  • Platelet count (Plt)

A few values are for inside red blood cells only:

  • Vitamin B9 (folic acid/folate) in red blood cells

  • Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC)

Units

Arterial or venous

If not otherwise specified, a reference range for a blood test is generally the venous range, as the standard process of obtaining a sample is by venipuncture. An exception is for acid–base and blood gases, which are generally given for arterial blood.

Still, the blood values are approximately equal between the arterial and venous sides for most substances, with the exception of acid–base, blood gases and drugs (used in therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) assays). Arterial levels for drugs are generally higher than venous levels because of extraction while passing through tissues.

Usual or optimal

Reference ranges are usually given as what are the usual (or normal) values found in the population, more specifically the prediction interval that 95% of the population fall into. This may also be called standard range. In contrast, optimal (health) range or therapeutic target is a reference range or limit that is based on concentrations or levels that are associated with optimal health or minimal risk of related complications and diseases. For most substances presented, the optimal levels are the ones normally found in the population as well. More specifically, optimal levels are generally close to a central tendency of the values found in the population. However, usual and optimal levels may differ substantially, most notably among vitamins and blood lipids, so these tables give limits on both standard and optimal (or target) ranges. In addition, some values, including troponin I and brain natriuretic peptide, are given as the estimated appropriate cutoffs to distinguish healthy people from people with specific conditions, which here are myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure, respectively, for the aforementioned substances.

Variability

References range may vary with age, sex, race, pregnancy, diet, use of prescribed or herbal drugs and stress. Reference ranges often depend on the analytical method used, for reasons such as inaccuracy, lack of standardisation, lack of certified reference material and differing antibody reactivity. Also, reference ranges may be inaccurate when the reference groups used to establish the ranges are small.

Sorted by concentration

By mass and molarity

Smaller, narrower boxes indicate a more tight homeostatic regulation when measured as standard "usual" reference range.

Hormones predominate at the left part of the scale, shown with a red at ng/L or pmol/L, being in very low concentration. There appears to be the greatest cluster of substances in the yellow part (μg/L or nmol/L), becoming sparser in the green part (mg/L or μmol/L). However, there is another cluster containing many metabolic substances like cholesterol and glucose at the limit with the blue part (g/L or mmol/L).

The unit conversions of substance concentrations from the molar to the mass concentration scale above are made as follows:

  • Numerically:

    Measured directly in distance on the scales:

  • ,

where distance is the direct (not logarithmic) distance in number of decades or "octaves" to the right the mass concentration is found. To translate from mass to molar concentration, the dividend (molar mass and the divisor (1000) in the division change places, or, alternatively, distance to right is changed to distance to left. Substances with a molar mass around 1000g/mol (e.g. thyroxine) are almost vertically aligned in the mass and molar images. Adrenocorticotropic hormone, on the other hand, with a molar mass of 4540, is 0.7 decades to the right in the mass image. Substances with molar mass below 1000g/mol (e.g. electrolytes and metabolites) would have "negative" distance, that is, masses deviating to the left. Many substances given in mass concentration are not given in molar amount because they haven't been added to the article.

The diagram above can also be used as an alternative way to convert any substance concentration (not only the normal or optimal ones) from molar to mass units and vice versa for those substances appearing in both scales, by measuring how much they are horizontally displaced from one another (representing the molar mass for that substance), and using the same distance from the concentration to be converted to determine the equivalent concentration in terms of the other unit. For example, on a certain monitor, the horizontal distance between the upper limits for parathyroid hormone in pmol/L and pg/mL may be 7cm, with the mass concentration to the right. A molar concentration of, for example, 5 pmol/L would therefore correspond to a mass concentration located 7cm to the right in the mass diagram, that is, approximately 45 pg/mL.

By units

Units do not necessarily imply anything about molarity or mass.

A few substances are below this main interval, e.g. thyroid stimulating hormone, being measured in m, or above, like rheumatoid factor and CA19-9, being measured in U/mL.

By enzyme activity

White blood cells

Sorted by category

Ions and trace metals

Included here are also related binding proteins, like ferritin and transferrin for iron, and ceruloplasmin for copper.

Test

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit*

Comments

Sodium (Na)

135, 137

145, 147

mmol/L or mEq/L

See hyponatremia or hypernatremia

310, 320

330, 340

mg/dL

Potassium (K)

3.5, 3.6

5.0, 5.1

mmol/L or mEq/L

See hypokalemia or hyperkalemia

14

20

mg/dL

Chloride (Cl)

95, 98, 100

105, 106, 110

mmol/L or mEq/L

See hypochloremia or hyperchloremia

340

370

mg/dL

Ionized calcium (Ca)

1.03, 1.10

1.23, 1.30

mmol/L

See hypocalcaemia or hypercalcaemia

4.1, 4.4

4.9, 5.2

mg/dL

Total calcium (Ca)

2.1, 2.2

2.5, 2.6, 2.8

mmol/L

8.4, 8.5

10.2, 10.5

mg/dL

Total serum iron (TSI) – male

65, 76

176, 198

μg/dL

See hypoferremia or the following: iron overload (hemochromatosis), iron poisoning, siderosis, hemosiderosis, hyperferremia

11.6, 13.6

30, 32, 35

μmol/L

Total serum iron (TSI) – female

26, 50

170

μg/dL

4.6, 8.9

30.4

μmol/L

Total serum iron (TSI) – newborns

100

250

μg/dL

18

45

μmol/L

Total serum iron (TSI) – children

50

120

μg/dL

9

21

μmol/L

Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC)

240, 262

450, 474

μg/dL

43, 47

81, 85

μmol/L

Transferrin

190, 194, 204

326, 330, 360

mg/dL

25

45

μmol/L

Transferrin saturation

20

50

%

Ferritin – Males and postmenopausal females

12

300

ng/mL or μg/L

27

670

pmol/L

Ferritin – premenopausal females

12

150 – 200

ng/mL or μg/L

27

330 – 440

pmol/L

Ammonia

10, 20

35, 65

μmol/L

See hypoammonemia and hyperammonemia

17, 34

60, 110

μg/dL

Copper (Cu)

70

150

μg/dL

See hypocupremia or hypercupremia

11

24

μmol/L

Ceruloplasmin

15

60

mg/dL

1

4

μmol/L

Phosphate (HPO42−)

0.8

1.5

mmol/L

See hypophosphatemia or hyperphosphatemia

Inorganic phosphorus (serum)

1.0

1.5

mmol/L

3.0

4.5

mg/dL

Zinc (Zn)

60, 72

110, 130

μg/dL

See zinc deficiency or zinc poisoning

9.2, 11

17, 20

μmol/L

Magnesium

1.5, 1.7

2.0, 2.3

mEq/L or mg/dL

See hypomagnesemia or hypermagnesemia

0.6, 0.7

0.82, 0.95

mmol/L

  • Note: Although 'mEq' for mass and 'mEq/L' are sometimes used in the United States and elsewhere, they are not part of SI and are now considered redundant.

Acid–base and blood gases

If arterial/venous is not specified for an acid–base or blood gas value, then it generally refers to arterial, and not venous which otherwise is standard for other blood tests.

Acid–base and blood gases are among the few blood constituents that exhibit substantial difference between arterial and venous values. Still, pH, bicarbonate and base excess show a high level of inter-method reliability between arterial and venous tests, so arterial and venous values are roughly equivalent for these.

Test

Arterial/Venous

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

pH

Arterial

7.34, 7.35

7.44, 7.45

Venous

7.31

7.41

H+

Arterial

36

44

nmol/L

3.6

4.4

ng/dL

Base excess

Arterial & venous

−3

+3

mEq/L

Oxygen partial pressure (pO2)

Arterial pO2

10, 11

13, 14

kPa

75, 83

100, 105

mmHg or torr

Venous

4.0

5.3

kPa

30

40

mmHg or torr

Oxygen saturation

Arterial

94, 95, 96

100

%

Venous

Approximately 75

Carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2)

Arterial PaCO2

4.4, 4.7

5.9, 6.0

kPa

33, 35

44, 45

mmHg or torr

Venous

5.5,

6.8

kPa

41

51

mmHg or torr

Absolute content of carbon dioxide (CO2)

Arterial

23

30

mmol/L

100

132

mg/dL

Bicarbonate (HCO3−)

Arterial & venous

18

23

mmol/L

110

140

mg/dL

Standard bicarbonate (SBCe)

Arterial & venous

21, 22

27, 28

mmol/L or mEq/L

134

170

mg/dL

Liver function

Test

Patient type

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

Comments

Total protein (TotPro)

60, 63

78, 82, 84

g/L

See serum total protein Interpretation

Albumin

35

48, 55

g/L

See hypoalbuminemia

3.5

4.8, 5.5

U/L

540

740

μmol/L

Globulins

23

35

g/L

Total bilirubin

1.7, 2, 3.4, 5

17, 22, 25

μmol/L

0.1, 0.2, 0.29

1.0, 1.3, 1.4

mg/dL

Direct/conjugated bilirubin

0.0 or N/A

5, 7

μmol/L

0

0.3, 0.4

mg/dL

Alanine transaminase (ALT/ALAT)

5, 7, 8

20, 21, 56

U/L

Also called serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT)

Female

0.15

0.75

μkat/L

Male

0.15

1.1

Aspartate transaminase (AST/ASAT)

Female

6

34

IU/L

Also called serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT)

0.25

0.60

μkat/L

Male

8

40

IU/L

0.25

0.75

μkat/L

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)

0.6

1.8

μkat/L

Female

42

98

U/L

Male

53

128

Gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT)

5, 8

40, 78

U/L

Female

0.63

μkat/L

Male

0.92

μkat/L

Cardiac tests

Test

Patient type

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

Comments

Creatine kinase (CK)

Male

24, 38, 60

174, 320

U/L or ng/mL

0.42

1.5

μkat/L

Female

24, 38, 96

140, 200

U/L or ng/mL

0.17

1.17

μkat/L

CK-MB

0

3, 3.8, 5

ng/mL or μg/L

Myoglobin

Female

1

66

ng/mL or μg/L

Male

17

106

Cardiac troponin T (low sensitive)

0.1

ng/mL

99th percentile cutoff

Cardiac troponin I

(high sensitive)

0.03

ng/mL

99th percentile cutoff

Cardiac troponin T (high sensitive)

Male

0.022

ng/mL

99th percentile cutoff

Female

0.014

ng/mL

99th percentile cutoff

newborn/infants

not established

more than adults

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP)

Interpretation

Range / Cutoff

Congestive heart failure unlikely

< 100 pg/mL

"Gray zone"

100–500 pg/mL

Congestive heart failure likely

> 500 pg/mL

NT-proBNP

Interpretation

Age

Cutoff

Congestive heart failure likely

< 75 years

> 125 pg/mL

> 75 years

> 450pg/mL

Lipids

Test

Patient type

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

Therapeutic target

Triglycerides

10–39 years

54

110

mg/dL

< 100mg/dL or 1.1mmol/L

0.61

1.2

mmol/L

40–59 years

70

150

mg/dL

0.77

1.7

mmol/L

> 60 years

80

150

mg/dL

0.9

1.7

mmol/L

Total cholesterol

3.0, 3.6

5.0, 6.5

mmol/L

< 3.9mmol/L

120, 140

200, 250

mg/dL

< 150mg/dL

HDL cholesterol

Female

1.0, 1.2, 1.3

2.2

mmol/L

> 1.0 or 1.6mmol/L 40 or 60mg/dL

40, 50

86

mg/dL

HDL cholesterol

Male

0.9

2.0

mmol/L

35

80

mg/dL

LDL cholesterol (Not valid when triglycerides >5.0mmol/L)

2.0, 2.4

3.0, 3.4

mmol/L

< 2.5mmol/L

80, 94

120, 130

mg/dL

< 100mg/dL

LDL/HDL quotient

n/a

5

(unitless)

Tumour markers

Test

Patient type

Cutoff

Unit

Comments

Alpha fetoprotein (AFP)

44

ng/mL or μg/L

Hepatocellular carcinoma or testicular cancer

Beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-hCG)

In males and non-pregnant females

5

IU/L or mU/mL

choriocarcinoma

CA19-9

40

U/mL

Pancreatic cancer

CA-125

30, 35

kU/L or U/mL

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)

Non-smokers, 50 years

3.4, 3.6

μg/L

Non-smokers, 70 years

4.1

Smokers

5

Prostate specific antigen (PSA)

40–49 years

1.2–2.9

μg/L or ng/mL

More detailed cutoffs in PSA – Serum levels

70–79 years, non-African-American

4.0–9.0

70–79 years, African-American

7.7–13

PAP

3

units/dL (Bodansky units)

Calcitonin

5, 15

ng/L or pg/mL

Cutoff against medullary thyroid cancerMore detailed cutoffs in Calcitonin article

Endocrinology

Thyroid hormones

Test

Patient type

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH or thyrotropin)

Adults – standard range

0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6

4.0, 4.5, 6.0

mIU/L or μIU/mL

Adults – optimal range

0.3, 0.5

2.0, 3.0

Infants

1.3

19

Free thyroxine (FT4)

Normal adult

0.7, 0.8

1.4, 1.5, 1.8

ng/dL

9, 10, 12

18, 23

pmol/L

Child/Adolescent 31 d – 18 y

0.8

2.0

ng/dL

10

26

pmol/L

Pregnant

0.5

1.0

ng/dL

6.5

13

pmol/L

Total thyroxine

4, 5.5

11, 12.3

μg/dL

60

140, 160

nmol/L

Free triiodothyronine (FT3)

Normal adult

0.2

0.5

ng/dL

3.1

7.7

pmol/L

Children 2-16 y

0.1

0.6

ng/dL

1.5

9.2

pmol/L

Total triiodothyronine

60, 75

175, 181

ng/dL

0.9, 1.1

2.5, 2.7

nmol/L

Thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG)

12

30

mg/L

Thyroglobulin (Tg)

1.5

30

pmol/L

1

20

μg/L

Sex hormones

The diagrams below take inter-cycle and inter-woman variability into account in displaying reference ranges for estradiol, progesterone, FSH and LH.

Test

Patient type

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

Dihydrotestosterone

adult male

1.0

2.9

nmol/L

30

85

ng/dL

Testosterone

Male, overall

8, 10

27, 35

nmol/L

230, 300

780–1000

ng/dL

Male < 50 years

10

45

nmol/L

290

1300

ng/dL

Male > 50 years

6.2

26

nmol/L

180

740

ng/dL

Female

0.7

2.8–3.0

nmol/L

20

80–85

ng/dL

17α-Hydroxyprogesterone

male

0.06

3.0

mg/L

0.18

9.1

μmol/L

Female (Follicular phase)

0.2

1.0

mg/L

0.6

3.0

μmol/L

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

Prepubertal

<1

3

IU/L

Adult male

1

8

Adult female (follicular and luteal phase)

1

11

Adult female (Ovulation)

6 95% PI (standard)

26 95% PI)

5 90% PI (used in diagram)

15 (90% PI)

Post-menopausal female

30

118

Luteinizing hormone (LH)

Female, peak

20 90% PI (used in diagram)

75 (90% PI)

IU/L

Female, post-menopausal

15

60

Male aged 18+

2

9

Estradiol (an estrogen)

Adult male

50

200

pmol/L

14

55

pg/mL

Adult female (day 5 of follicular phase, and luteal phase)

70

500, 600

pmol/L

19

140, 160

pg/mL

Adult female – free (not protein bound)

0.5

9

pg/mL

1.7

33

pmol/L

Post-menopausal female

0

130

pmol/L

0

35

pg/mL

Progesterone

Female in mid-luteal phase (day 21–23)

17, 35

92

nmol/L

6, 11

29

ng/mL

Androstenedione

Adult male and female

60

270

ng/dL

Post-menopausal female

< 180

Prepubertal

< 60

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate

Adult male and female

30

400

μg/dL

SHBG

Adult female

40

120

nmol/L

Adult male

20

60

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)

13–45 years

0.7

20

ng/mL

5

140

pmol/L

Other hormones

Test

Patient type

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

2.2

13.3

pmol/L

20

100

pg/mL

Cortisol

09:00 am

140

700

nmol/L

5

25

μg/dL

Midnight

80

350

nmol/L

2.9

13

μg/dL

Growth hormone (fasting)

0

5

ng/mL

Growth hormone (arginine stimulation)

7

n/a

ng/mL

IGF-1

Female, 20 yrs

110

420

ng/mL

Female, 75 yrs

55

220

Male, 20 yrs

160

390

Male, 75 yrs

48

200

Prolactin

Female

71, 105

348, 548

mIU/L

3.4, 3.9

16.4, 20.3

μg/L

Male

58, 89

277, 365

mIU/L

2.7, 3.3

13.0, 13.5

μg/L

Parathyroid hormone (PTH)

10, 17

65, 70

pg/mL

1.1, 1.8

6.9, 7.5

pmol/L

25-hydroxycholecalciferol (a vitamin D) – Standard reference range

8, 9

40, 80

ng/mL

20, 23

95, 150

nmol/L

25-hydroxycholecalciferol – Therapeutic target range

30, 40

65, 100

ng/mL

85, 100

120, 160

nmol/L

Plasma renin activity

0.29, 1.9

3.7

ng/(mL·h)

3.3, 21

41

mcU/mL

Aldosterone

Adult

19, 34.0

ng/dL

530, 940

pmol/L

Aldosterone-to-renin ratio

Adult

13.1, 35.0

ng/dL per ng/(mL·h)

360, 970

pmol/liter per μg/(L·h)

Vitamins

Also including the vitamin B12)-related amino acid homocysteine.

Test

Patient type

Standard range

Optimal range

Unit

Lower limit

Upper limit

Lower limit

Upper limit

Vitamin A

30

65

μg/dL

Vitamin B9 (Folic acid/Folate) – Serum

Age > 1 year

3.0

16

5

ng/mL or μg/L

6.8

36

11

nmol/L

Vitamin B9 (Folic acid/Folate) – Red blood cells

200

600

ng/mL or μg/L

450

1400

nmol/L

Pregnant

400

ng/mL or μg/L

900

nmol/L

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

130, 160

700, 950

ng/L

100, 120

520, 700

pmol/L

Homocysteine

3.3, 5.9

7.2, 15.3

6.3

μmol/L

45, 80

100, 210

85

μg/dL

Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)

0.4

1.5

0.9

mg/dL

23

85

50

μmol/L

25-hydroxycholecalciferol (a vitamin D)

8, 9

40, 80

30, 40

65, 100

ng/mL

20, 23

95, 150

85, 100

120, 160

nmol/L

Vitamin E

28

μmol/L

1.2

mg/dL

Toxic Substances

Test

Limit type

Limit

Unit

Lead

Optimal health range

< 20 or 40

μg/dL

Blood ethanol content

Limit for drunk driving

0, 0.2, 0.8

‰ or g/L

17.4

mmol/L

Hematology

Red blood cells

These values (except Hemoglobin in plasma) are for total blood and not only blood plasma.

Test

Patient

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

Comments

Hemoglobin (Hb)

Male

2.0, 2.1

2.5, 2.7

mmol/L

Higher in neonates, lower in children.

130, 132, 135

162, 170, 175

g/L

Female

1.8, 1.9

2.3, 2.5

mmol/L

Sex difference negligible until adulthood.

120

150, 152, 160

g/L

Hemoglobin subunits (sometimes displayed simply as "Hemoglobin")

Male

8.0, 8.4

10.0, 10.8

mmol/L

4 per hemoglobin molecule

Female

7.2, 7.6

9.2, 10.0

Hemoglobin in plasma

0.16

0.62

μmol/L

Normally diminutive compared with inside red blood cells

1

4

mg/dL

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)

< 50 years

3.6

5.0

% of Hb

> 50 years

3.9

5.3

Haptoglobin

< 50 years

0.35

1.9

g/L

> 50 years

0.47

2.1

Hematocrit (Hct)

Male

0.39, 0.4, 0.41, 0.45

0.50, 0.52, 0.53, 0.62

L/L

Female

0.35, 0.36, 0.37

0.46, 0.48

L/L

Child

0.31

0.43

L/L

Mean corpuscular volume (MCV)

Male

76, 82

100, 102

fL

Cells are larger in neonates, though smaller in other children.

Female

78

101

fL

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW)

11.5

14.5

%

Mean cell hemoglobin (MCH)

0.39

0.54

fmol/cell

25, 27

32, 33, 35

pg/cell

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC)

4.8, 5.0

5.4, 5.6

mmol/L

31, 32

35, 36

g/dL or %

Erythrocytes/Red blood cells (RBC)

Male

4.2, 4.3

5.7, 5.9, 6.2, 6.9

1012/Lormillion/mm3

Female

3.5, 3.8, 3.9

5.1, 5.5

Infant/Child

3.8

5.5

Reticulocytes

Adult

26

130

109/L

0.5

1.5

% of RBC

Newborn

1.1

4.5

% of RBC

Infant

0.5

3.1

% of RBC

Immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF)

Adult

1.6

12.1

% of reticulocytes

Reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent

Adult

30.0

37.6

%

24.1

35.8

pg

Immature platelet fraction (IPF)

Adult

0.8

5.6

%

White blood cells

These values are for total blood and not only blood plasma.

Test

Patient type

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

White Blood Cell Count (WBC)

Adult

3.5, 3.9, 4.1, 4.5

9.0, 10.0, 10.9, 11

  • 109/L

  • 103/mm3 or

  • 103/μL

Newborn

9

30

1 year old

6

18

Neutrophil granulocytes (A.K.A. grans, polys, PMNs, or segs)

Adult

1.3, 1.8, 2

5.4, 7, 8

109/L

45–54

62, 74

% of WBC

Newborn

6

26

109/L

Neutrophilic band forms

Adult

0.7

109/L

3

5

% of WBC

Lymphocytes

Adult

0.7, 1.0

3.5, 3.9, 4.8

109/L

16–25

33, 45

% of WBC

Newborn

2

11

109/L

Monocytes

Adult

0.1, 0.2

0.8

109/L

3, 4.0

7, 10

% of WBC

Newborn

0.4

3.1

109/L

Mononuclear leukocytes (Lymphocytes + monocytes)

Adult

1.5

5

109/L

20

35

% of WBC

CD4+ T cells

Adult

0.4, 0.5

1.5, 1.8

109/L

Eosinophil granulocytes

Adult

0.0, 0.04

0.44, 0.45, 0.5

109/L

1

3, 7

% of WBC

Newborn

0.02

0.85

109/L

Basophil granulocytes

Adult

40

100, 200, 900

106/L

0.0

0.75, 2

% of WBC

Newborn

0.64

109/L

Coagulation

Test

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

Comments

Thrombocyte/Platelet count (Plt)

140, 150

350, 400, 450

109/L or x1000/μL

Mean platelet volume (MPV)

7.2, 7.4, 7.5

10.4, 11.5, 11.7

fL

Prothrombin time (PT)

10, 11, 12

13, 13.5, 14, 15

s

PT reference varies between laboratory kits – INR is standardised

INR

0.9

1.2

The INR is a corrected ratio of a patient's PT to normal

Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT)

18, 30

28, 42, 45

s

Thrombin clotting time (TCT)

11

18

s

Fibrinogen

1.7, 2.0

3.6, 4.2

g/L

Antithrombin

0.80

1.2

kIU/L

0.15, 0.17

0.2, 0.39

mg/mL

Bleeding time

2

9

minutes

Viscosity

1.5

1.72

cP

Immunology

Acute phase proteins

Acute phase proteins are markers of inflammation.

Test

Patient

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

Comments

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)

Male

0

Age÷2

mm/h

ESR increases with age and tends to be higher in females.

Female

(Age+10)÷2

C-reactive protein (CRP)

5, 6

mg/L

200, 240

nmol/L

Alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT)

20, 22

38, 53

μmol/L

89, 97

170, 230

mg/dL

Procalcitonin

0.15

ng/mL or μg/L

Isotypes of antibodies

Test

Patient

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

IgA

Adult

70, 110

360, 560

mg/dL

IgD

0.5

3.0

IgE

0.01

0.04

IgG

800

1800

IgM

54

220

Autoantibodies

Autoantibodies are usually absent or very low, so instead of being given in standard reference ranges, the values usually denote where they are said to be present, or whether the test is a positive test. There may also be an equivocal interval, where it is uncertain whether there is a significantly increased level.

Test

Negative

Equivocal

Positive

Unit

anti-SS-A (Ro)

< 1.0

n/a

≥ 1.0

Units (U)

anti-SS-B (La)

< 1.0

n/a

≥ 1.0

Anti ds-DNA

< 30.0

30.0–75.0

> 75.0

International Units per millilitre (IU/mL)

Anti ss-DNA

< 8

8–10

> 10

Units per millilitre (U/mL)

Anti-histone antibodies

< 25

n/a

> 25

Cytoplasmic anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (c-ANCA)

< 20

21–30

> 30

Perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (p-ANCA)

< 5

n/a

> 5

Anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA)

< 0.1

0.1-0.9

≥ 1.0

Units (U)

Rheumatoid factor (RF)

< 20

20–30

> 30

Units per millilitre (U/mL)

Antistreptolysin O titre (ASOT) in preschoolers

> 100

ASOT at school age

> 250

ASOT in adults

> 125

Test

Negative

Low/weak positive

Moderate positive

High/strong positive

Unit

Anti-phospholipid IgG

< 20

20–30

31–50

> 51

GPLU/mL

Anti-phospholipid IgM

< 1.5

1.5–2.5

2–9.9

> 10

MPL /mL

Anti-phospholipid IgA

< 10

10–20

21–30

> 31

arb U/mL

Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies

< 20

20–39

40–59

> 60

EU

Other immunology

Test

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

Serum free light chains (FLC): kappa/lambda ratio

0.26

1.65

(unitless)

Other enzymes and proteins

Test

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

Comments

Serum total protein

60, 63

78, 82, 84

g/L

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)

50

150

U/L

0.4

1.7

μmol/L

1.8

3.4

μkat/L

< 70 years old

Amylase

25, 30, 53

110, 120, 123, 125, 190

U/L

0.15

1.1

μkat/L

200

240

nmol/L

D-dimer

n/a

500

ng/mL

Higher in pregnant women

0.5

mg/L

Lipase

7, 10, 23

60, 150, 208

U/L

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)

23

57

U/L

Acid phosphatase

3.0

ng/mL

Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP)

2.3

16

μg/L

Other electrolytes and metabolites

Electrolytes and metabolites: For iron and copper, some related proteins are also included.

Test

Patient type

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

Comments

Osmolality

275, 280, 281

295, 296, 297

mOsm/kg

Plasma weight excludes solutes

Osmolarity

Slightly less than osmolality

mOsm/L

Plasma volume includes solutes

Urea

3.0

7.0

mmol/L

BUN – blood urea nitrogen

7

18, 21

mg/dL

* Uric acid

0.18

0.48

mmol/L

Female

2.0

7.0

mg/dL

Male

2.1

8.5

mg/dL

Creatinine

Male

60, 68

90, 118

μmol/L

May be complemented with creatinine clearance

0.7, 0.8

1.0, 1.3

mg/dL

Female

50, 68

90, 98

μmol/L

0.6, 0.8

1.0, 1.1

mg/dL

BUN/Creatinine Ratio

5

35

–

Plasma glucose (fasting)

3.8, 4.0

6.0, 6.1

mmol/L

See also glycated hemoglobin (in hematology)

65, 70, 72

100, 110

mg/dL

Full blood glucose (fasting)

3.3

5.6

mmol/L

60

100

mg/dL

Random glucose

3.9

7.8

mmol/L

70

140

mg/dL

Lactate (Venous)

4.5

19.8

mg/dL

0.5

2.2

mmol/L

Lactate (Arterial)

4.5

14.4

mg/dL

0.5

1.6

mmol/L

Pyruvate

300

900

μg/dL

34

102

μmol/L

Ketones

1

mg/dL

0.1

mmol/L

Medication

Test

Lower limit

Upper limit

Unit

Comments

Digoxin

0.5

2.0

ng/mL

Narrow therapeutic window

0.6

2.6

nmol/L

Lithium

0.4, 0.5, 0.8

1.3

mmol/L

Narrow therapeutic window

Paracetamol

30

mg/L

Risk of paracetamol toxicity at higher levels

200

μmol/L

See also

Notes

References

Further reading