Week 3: Reference Values for Laboratory Tests

Question 1

What is a normal total red blood cell count in women?

Answer 1

4.0-5.5 million/mm3

Question 2

What is a normal total red blood cell count in men?

Answer 2

4.5-6.2 million/mm3

Question 3

What happens if total red blood cell count is low?

Answer 3

may be anemic, or may have lost blood volume

Question 4

What happens if total red blood cell count is high?

Answer 4

May be dehydrated or at risk for blood clots

Question 5

What is a normal hematocrit level in women?

Answer 5

38-46%

Question 6

What is a normal hematocrit level in men?

Answer 6

42-54%

Question 7

What happens if hematocrit is low?

Answer 7

may have anemia, blood loss, or malnutrition

Question 8

What happens in hematocrit is high?

Answer 8

may be dehydrated or at risk for blood clots

Question 9

What is a normal hemoglobin level in women?

Answer 9

12-16 g/dL

Question 10

What is a normal hemoglobin level in men?

Answer 10

14-18 g/dL

Question 11

What happens if hemoglobin is low?

Answer 11

possible blood loss or nutritional deficiency

Question 12

What happens if hemoglobin is high?

Answer 12

possible dehydration or risk for blood clot

Question 13

What is a normal total white blood cell count?

Answer 13

4500-11000/mm3

Question 14

What happens if white blood cell count is low?

Answer 14

risk for infection

Question 15

What happens if white blood cell count is high?

Answer 15

possible infection, inflammatory response, or anemia

Question 16

What is a normal platelet (throbocyte) count?

Answer 16

150,000-400,000

Question 17

What happens if platelet (thrombocyte) count is low?

Answer 17

delayed clotting

Question 18

What happens if platelet (thrombocyte) count is high?

Answer 18

potential for blood clots

Question 19

What is a normal total lymphocyte (TLC) count?

Answer 19

> 1,800 cells/mm3

Question 20

What happens if total lymphocyte (TLC) count is low?

Answer 20

decrease immune function, may have protein deficiency, can delay wound healing

Question 21

What is a normal serum albumin count?

Answer 21

3.5-5.5 g/dL

Question 22

What happens if serum albumin is low?

Answer 22

may be malnourished, may cause tissue edema, may be a sign of metabolic stress or inflammation…. correlated with pressure ulcer severity

Question 23

What happens if serum albumin is high?

Answer 23

may be dehyrdated

Question 24

What is a normal serum prealbumin level?

Answer 24

16-40 mg/dL

Question 25

What happens is serum prealbumin is low?

Answer 25

may be malnourished, may be a sign of metabolic stress or inflammation, mortality rate increases as prealbumin decreases

Question 26

What is a normal serum transferrin level?

Answer 26

> 170 mg/dL

Question 27

What happens if serum transferrin is low?

Answer 27

may have protein deficiency or may be malnourished

Question 28

What happens if serum transferrin is high?

Answer 28

may have iron deficiency

Question 29

What is a normal blood glucose level?

Answer 29

70-100 mg/dL

Question 30

What happens if blood glucose is high?

Answer 30

may have poorly controlled diabetes

Question 31

What is a normal urine glucose level?

Answer 31

negative

Question 32

What happens if urine glucose is present?

Answer 32

may have poorly controlled diabetes or kidney disease

Question 33

What is a normal BUN (blood urea nitrogen) level?

Answer 33

8-20 mg/dL

Question 34

What happens in BUN is high?

Answer 34

have have kidney disease or be dehydrated… associated with wound healing

Question 35

What is a normal creatinine level?

Answer 35

0.8-1.2 mg/dL

Question 36

What happens if creatinine is high?

Answer 36

may have kidney disease

Question 37

What happens if creatinine is low?

Answer 37

decreases with malnutrition