Labs & Normal Values

Question 1

Normal WBC Count

Answer 1

4,000-11,000/uL

Question 2

Normal % HCT (Male, Female)

Answer 2

Male 40-52%

Female 35-45%

Question 3

Normal Hgb Count (Male, Female)

Answer 3

M: 13-17 g/dL
F: 11-15 g/dL

Question 4

What does MCHC (Mean Cell Hemoglobin Concentration) tell us?
What’s the normal value?

Answer 4

The average concentration of hemoglobin in a given volume of blood

Normal: 32-36 g/dL

Question 5

Normal Reticulocyte Count

Answer 5

45,000-110,000/uL

Question 6

Normal RBC Count

Answer 6

4-6 million

Question 7

Platelet Count

Answer 7

135,000-371,000/uL

Question 8

What does (Mean Cell/Corpuscular Volume) MCV tell us?
What's the Normal Value?

Answer 8

The average volume (size) of a RBC.

Normal:80-100 fL

Question 9

How can you calculate %Hct (Hematocrit)?

Answer 9

%HCT = Hgb x 3 OR
%HCT = (volume RBC / volume total blood) x 100

Question 10

What does Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) Tell you?

What’s the Normal Value (Male, Female)?

Answer 10

Measure of the range of variation in red blood cell size.
Male: 12-14%
Female: 12-16%

Question 11

How do you calculate the life span of a RBC?

Answer 11

(50,000uL / patient absolute retic count ) x 100

Question 12

If a retic count is lower than ____uL or ___% it could indicate a problem with bone marrow production.

Answer 12

50,000uL or 1 %

Question 13

T or F: Children have a higher retic count than adults.

Answer 13

True.
Child: 2-6% retic
Adult: 0.5-2.5% retic

Question 14

What does Prothrombin (PT) time tell you?

What’s the Normal Value?

Answer 14

The time it takes for blood to coagulate via the EXTRINSIC pathway (Factor VII)

Normal: 11 to 12.5 seconds

Question 15

What does Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) tell you?
What’s the Normal Value?

Answer 15

The time it takes for blood to coagulate via the INTRINSIC pathway (Factors XII, XI, IX, VIII)

Normal: 30 to 40 seconds

Question 16

What does the International Normalized Ratio (INR) tell you?
What’s the normal Value?

Answer 16

INR is a standardized version of prothrombin time, which measures the time it takes for your blood to clot.

Normal: 0.8 to 1.1

Question 17

What is the goal range for INR when using warfarin or heparin?

Answer 17

2 - 3

Question 18

What does Thrombin Time (TT) tell you?

What’s the normal value?

Answer 18

Measure the time it takes for a clot to form in the blood plasma when a thrombin activator is added.

Normal: 12 to 14 seconds

Question 19

How does a Mixing Study wprk and tell you?

Answer 19

A mixing study mixes patient plasma with normal plasma in a 1:1 ratio to determine if there is a deficiency of a clotting factor or an inhibitor present in the patients plasma.

Question 20

If the clotting time of a patient’s plasma is corrected after a mixing study, what does that tell you? What if it’s not corrected?

Answer 20

Corrected - Pt plasma is deficient in a clotting factor

Uncorrected - Pt plasma has an inhibitor present

Question 21

What does a Platelet Function Assay tell you (PFA-100)? What does it tell you when it’s abnormal?

Answer 21

PFA-100 shows you the time it takes for blood to clot in the prescene of ADP or epinephrine.

If the test is abnormal you have some type of platelet defect (ie. vWD)