Lab Values

Question 1

Red blood cell (RBC)

Answer 1

Measures the number of red blood cells in blood.
Male: 4.3 - 5.7 cells/mcL
Female: 3.8 - 5.1 cells/mcL
Increased by smoking, COPD, corpulmonal, dehydration, hypoxia, pulmonary fibrosis, and polycythemia vera
Decreased by anemia, bone marrow deficiency, hemolysis, erythroprotein deficiency, leukemia, malnutrition, multiple myeloma, overhydration, pregnancy

Question 2

Hemoglobin (HgB)

Answer 2

Measures the total amount of oxygen carrying proteins in the blood
12-18 g/dL
<5 can lead to heart failure
>20 can cause hemoconstriction and thrombosis

Question 3

Hematorcrit (Hct)

Answer 3

Measures the percentage of person’s total blood volume consisting of erythrocytes.
36 - 52%
<15% can cause heart failure, >60 % can cause thrombosis

Question 4

White Blood Cell (WBC)

Answer 4

4,500 - 10,500 cells/mcL
Increased by anemia, bone marrow problems, inflamatory disease, severe stress, tissue damage
Decreased by bone marrow problems, lupus, liver or splene disease, viral infection, severe bacterial infections

Question 5

What are the 5 types of WBCs

Answer 5

Neutrophils (35-80%) - bacterial/fungal infections
Esonophils (0-4%) - parasites and allergies
Basophils (0-1.2%) - allergic reactions, release histamine
Monocytes (4.7-12.5%) - phagocytes
Lymphocytes (18-44%) - B cells, CD4, helper T cells, cytotoxic t cells,

Question 6

Sodium (Na)

Answer 6

135-145 mEq/L
Increased by: volume depletion, GI loss, Osmotic diuresis, DI, fever, hyperventilation
Decreased by: volume depletion, SIADH, fluid restriction, volume overload

Question 7

Potassium (K)

Answer 7

3.5 - 5 mEq/L
Increased by: impaired excretion (renal failure or K sparing diuretics), rhabdo, hemolyisis, burns, acidosis and toxicities
Decreased by: renal losses, GI loss, transcellular shift

Question 8

Chloride (Cl)

Answer 8

95 - 105 mEq/L

Question 9

Calcium (Ca)

Answer 9

8.5 - 10.5 mg/dL

Question 10

Magnesium (Mg)

Answer 10

1.5 - 2.5 mEq/L

Question 11

Phosphorous (P)

Answer 11

3.0 - 4.5 mg/dL

Question 12

Glucose (Glu)

Answer 12

70 - 100 mg/dL

Question 13

Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)

Answer 13

6 - 23 mg/dL

Question 14

Creatinine (Cr)

Answer 14

0.6 - 1.4 mg/dL

Question 15

Serum Osmolarity

Answer 15

275 - 295 mOsm/kg H20

Question 16

Platelets (Plt)

Answer 16

150K - 440K/mcL

Question 17

Prothrombin time (PT)

Answer 17

11-13 seconds

Question 18

International normalized ratio (INR)

Answer 18

0.8 - 1.1
or 2.0 - 3.0 if on warfarin

Question 19

Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)

Answer 19

21 - 35 seconds

Question 20

Fibrogen

Answer 20

200 - 400 mg/dL

Question 21

D - dimer

Answer 21

<250 mcg/mL

Question 22

B - type natriuretic peptide (BNP)

Answer 22

<100

Question 23

Troponin - I

Answer 23

<0.04 ng/mL