Lab Values Flashcards
Review the normal lab values.
Will normal lab values be provided on the Next Generation NCLEX exam?
Yes!
It is still a good idea to memorize the values of common labs.
Lab value:
sodium
135 - 145 (mEq/L)
Critical: < 120 or > 160
Lab value:
chloride
98 - 106 (mEq/L)
Lab value:
potassium
3.5 - 5 (mmol/L)
Critical: < 3 or > 6
Lab value:
magnesium
1.6 - 2.6 (mg/dL)
Lab value:
calcium
8.5 - 10.5 (mg/dL)
Lab value:
phosphorus
2.5 - 4.5 (mg/dL)
Lab value:
WBC
(white blood cell)
5,000 - 10,000 (mcL)
Critical value: < 2,000 or > 40,000
Lab value:
RBC: male and female
(red blood cell)
- male: 4.7 - 6.6 (mcL)
- female: 4.2 - 5.4 (mcL)
Lab value:
Hgb: male, female, pregnant
(hemoglobin)
- male: 14-18 (g/dL)
- female: 12-16 (g/dL)
- pregnant: >11 (g/dL)
Lab value:
Hct: male, female, pregnant
(hematocrit)
- male: 42 - 52%
- female: 37 - 47%
- pregnant: >33%
Lab value:
platelets
150,000 - 400,000 (mcL)
Critical value: < 50,000 or > 1 million
Lab value:
blood urea nitrogen
(BUN)
10 - 20 (mg/dL)
critical BUN: > 100
Lab value:
creatinine
0.6 - 1.2 (mg/dL)
Critical: > 4
Lab value:
glomerular filtration rate
(GFR)
> 90 (mL/min)
Average is 125 (mL/min)
Lab value:
bilirubin in newborn
- < 14 (mg/dL), newborn is managed at home with sunlight and increased feedings
- > 14 (mg/dL), newborn is hospitalized
- > 20 (mg/dL), is considered toxic
Adult bilirubin is about 1-2, newborn bilirubin is always a bit high around 10.
Lab value:
- (ALT) alanine aminotransferase
- (AST) aspartate aminotransferase
- (ALP) alkaline phosphatase
- ALT: 4 - 36 (U/L)
- AST: 0 - 25 (U/L)
- ALP: 20 - 140 (U/L)
- A mild elevation will be 2 - 3 times higher than normal
- A severe elevation can be in the hundreds or thousands
Lab value:
total cholesterol
< 200 (mg/dL)
Lab value:
HDL: male, female
(High-density lipoproteins)
- male: >40 (1.0 mmol/L)
- female: >50 (1.3 mmol/L)
>60 (1.6 mmol/L) is ideal
Lab value:
LDL
(Low-density lipoproteins)
< 100 (mg/dL)
Lab value:
protein
6 - 8.3 (g/dL)
Lab value:
ammonia
15 - 56 (µmol/L)
Lab value:
albumin
3.5 - 5 (g/dL)
Lab value:
PT normal/control
(prothrombin time)
PT normal/control: 11 - 12.5 seconds
Lab value:
PT therapeutic
(prothrombin time)
1.5 - 2 times the control/normal value
Example:
- 11 x 1.5 = 16.5
- 12.5 x 2 = 25
- Therapeutic level: 16.5 - 25 seconds
Labs are different and may have a different control. If there is not a control number indicated use 11 - 12.5. The higher the number the less risk that a blood clot will form. But it also puts the client at risk for bleeding.
Lab value:
INR: normal, therapeutic
(international normalized ratio)
- normal: 0.8 - 1.1
- therapeutic: 2 - 3
Therapeutic: the higher the number the less risk that a blood clot will form. But it also puts the client at risk for bleeding.
Lab value:
aPTT: (normal/control)
(activated partial thromboplastin time)
a PTT normal/control: 25 - 35 seconds
Lab value:
aPTT: therapeutic
(activated partial thromboplastin time)
aPTT: 1.5 - 2.5 times the control/normal value
Example:
- 25 x 1.5 = 37.5 seconds
- 35 x 2.5 = 87.5 seconds
- Therapeutic level: 37.5 - 87.5 seconds
Labs are different and may have a different control. Some labs use 20-30 and some use 30-40. If there is not a control number indicated use 25-35 seconds. The higher the number the less risk that a blood clot will form. But it also puts the client at risk for bleeding.
Lab value:
amylase and lipase
0 - 160 (U/L)
Lab value:
HbA1c
(glycated hemoglobin)
- non-diabetic: 4 - 5.7%
- good diabetes control: < 7%
- poor diabetes control: > 9%
Lab value:
Blood sugar: fasting, random, critical
- fasting: 70 - 110 mg/dL (3.9 - 6.1 mmol/L) - no food for at least 8 hours before the test
- random: ≤ 200 mg/dL (≤ 11.1 mmol/L)- may have eaten before the test
- critical: < 50 or > 400 mg/dL (< 2.8 - > 22.2 mmol/L)
.
Lab value:
BNP
(B-type natriuretic peptide or brain natriuretic peptide)
0 - 100 (pg/mL)
Lab value:
troponin
0 - 0.04 (ng/mL)
Lab value:
CK
(creatine kinase)
22 - 198 (U/L)
Lab value:
uric acid
2.4 - 7 (mg/dL)
Therapeutic drug level:
digoxin
1 - 2 (ng/mL)
2 or greater is considered toxicity
Therapeutic drug level:
lithium
0.6 - 1.2 (mmol/L)
2 or greater is considered toxicity.
Therapeutic drug level:
phenytoin
10 - 20 (mcg/mL)
Greater than 20 is considered toxic.
What is the normal respiration rate for an adult?
12 - 20 breaths per minute
What is a normal pulse oximetry/oxygen (O2) saturation?
95% - 100%
What is a normal heart rate for an adult?
- 60 - 100 beats per minute
- strong and regular
What is a normal blood pressure (BP)?
90/60 to 120/80 (mmHg)
- systolic is the first number
- diastolic is the second number
What is a normal body temperature?
96.8° - 100.4° F
(36° - 38° C)
What labs are included in a CBC (complete blood count)?
- Red blood cell count
- Hemoglobin
- Hematocrit
- White blod cell count
What labs are included in a BMP (basic metabolic panel)?
- glucose
- calcium
- potassium
- bicarbonate
- chloride
- BUN
- creatinine
What labs are included in a CMP (complete metabolic panel)?
- glucose
- calcium
- potassium
- bicarbonate
- chloride
- BUN
- creatinine
- albumin
- total protein
- ALP and AST
- bilirum
