Medical Science

CLINICAL LABORATORY TESTS – REFERENCE VALUES

Clinical Laboratory Tests – Reference Values

This table lists reference ranges (expressed in both SI units and traditional units) for the most common laboratory tests and is intended for interpretation of the results as they are provided in the examinations. Most of the values apply to adults and where they differ for children it will be indicated. Many important laboratory reference values are not listed here, because of the less frequent use of these tests. Such values are inserted parenthetically following the result recorded in the examination question.

 

Tests

SI Units

Traditional Units

Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) 25-40 sec 25-40 sec
Albumin (serum) 35-50 g/L 3.5-5.0 g/dL
Amylase (serum) 25-125 IU/L 25-125 U/L
Bicarbonate (HCO3) (serum) 23-29 mmol/L 23-29 mEq/L
Bilirubin (serum)* Neonates (conjugated) 0-10 μmol/L 0-0.6 mg/dL
(total) 1.7-180 μmol/L 1.0-10.5 mg/dL
Adults     (conjugated) 0-5 μmol/L 0-0.3 mg/dL
(total) 3-22 μmol/L 0.2-1.3 mg/dL
Bleeding time (Ivy) < 5 min < 5 min
Calcium (serum)**
Total 2.10-2.50 mmol/L 8.4-10.6 mg/dL
Ionized 1.15-1.35 mmol/L 4.6-5.1 mg/dL
Calcium (urine) < 6.2 mmol/d < 250 mg/24h
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (serum) < 3.0 µg/L < 3.0 ng/mL
CO2 (total)** 22-29 mmol/L 22-29 mEq/L
Chloride (serum) 96-106 mmol/L 96-106 mEq/L
Chloride (urine) Infant 2-10 mmol/d 2-10 mEq/24h
Child 14-50 mmol/d 14-50 mEq/24h
Adults 110-250 mmol/d 110-250 mEq/24h
Cholesterol (serum)** < 5.2 mmol/L < 200 mg/dL
Cortisol (plasma) 8 AM 170-635 nmol/L 6-23 μg/dL
4 PM 82-413 nmol/L 3-15 μg/dL
Creatinine (serum) 50-110 μmol/L 0.6-1.2 mg/dL
Creatinine (urine) Males 8.8-17.6 mmol/d 1.0-2.0 g/24h
Females 7.0-15.8 mmol/d 0.8-1.8 g/24h
Creatine kinase (CK, CPK) – Males (race dependent) 20-215 IU/L 20-215 U/L
Females (race dependent) 20-160 IU/L 20-160 U/L
Erythrocytes (RBCs) – Children** 4.5-5.1 x 1012/L 4.5-5.1 million/mm3
Males 4.6-6.2 x 1012/L 4.6-6.2 million/mm3
Females 4.2-5.4 x 1012/L 4.2-5.4 million/mm3
Ferritin (serum) 20-200 μg/L 20-200 ng/mL
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (plasma)
Males 1-10 IU/L 1-10 mU/mL
Females, premenopausal 20-50 IU/L 20-50 mU/mL
Females, postmenopausal 40-250 IU/L 40-250 mU/mL
Glucose (fasting) (plasma or serum) 3.9-6.1 mmol/L 70-110 mg/dL
Growth hormone (hGH) (serum, adult) fasting 0-10 μg/L 0-10 ng/mL
Hematocrit – Newborn 0.49-0.54 49-54%
Children** 0.35-0.49 35-49%
Males 0.40-0.54 40-54%
Females 0.37-0.47 37-47%
Hemoglobin (Hb) – Newborn 165-195 g/L 16.5-19.5 g/dL
Children** 112-165 g/L 11.2-16.5 g/dL
Males 140-180 g/L 14.0-18.0 g/dL
Females 120-160 g/L 12.0-16.0 g/dL
High density lipoproteins (HDL) (recommended range) > 0.91 mmol/L > 35 mg/dL
INR 0.9-1.1 0.9-1.1
Iron (serum) – Males 13-31 μmol/L 75-175 μg/dL
Females 5-29 μmol/L 28-162 μg/dL
Iron binding capacity (serum) (TIBC) 45-73 μmol/L 250-410 μg/dL
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (serum) – Adult 45-90 IU/L 45-90 U/L
Child 60-170 IU/L 60-170 U/L
> 60 years old 55-100 IU/L 55-100 U/L

 

*Test values are method dependent

**Test values vary with age

***Test values are diet-dependent

 

Tests

SI Units

Traditional Units

Leukocytes – Total 3.5-12.0 x 109/L 3500-12,000/mm3
Differential: Neutrophils 3000-5800 x 106/L 3000-5800/mm3
Lymphocytes 1500-3000 x 106/L 1500-3000/mm3
Monocytes 300-500 x 106/L 300-500/mm3
Eosinophils 50-250 x 106/L 50-250/mm3
Basophils 15-50 x 106/L 15-50/mm3
Low density lipoproteins (LDL) (recommended range) < 3.4 mmol/L < 130 mg/dL
Luteinizing hormone (LH) (serum) – Males 1-9 IU/L 1-9 IU/L
Females (follicular) 2-10 IU/L 2-10 IU/L
(mid-cycle) 15-65 IU/L 15-65 IU/L
(luteal) 1-12 IU/L 1-12 IU/L
(postmenopausal) 12-65 IU/L 12-65 IU/L
Magnesium (serum) 0.65-1.05 mmol/L 1.3-2.1 mg/dL
Magnesium (urine) 3.0-4.3 mmol/d 6.0-8.5 mEq/24h
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 76-100 fL 76-100 µm3
Osmolality (serum) 285-295 mmol/kg 285-295 mOsm/kg
Osmolality (urine) 38-1400 mmol/kg 38-1400 mOsm/kg
Oxygen (arterial saturation) 94-99% 94-99%
Parathyroid hormone (PTH) 1.4-6.8 pmol/L 13.2-64.1 pg/mL
Partial thromboplastin time (PTT) See aPTT See aPTT
pCO2 (arterial) 35-45 mm Hg 35-45 mm Hg
pH (arterial) 7.35-7.45 7.35-7.45
Phosphatase, alkaline (serum) 40-160 IU/L 40-160 U/L
Phosphate – Adults 1.0-1.5 mmol/L 3.0-4.5 mg/dL
Children 1.3-2.3 mmol/L 4.0-7.0 mg/dL
Platelet count 150-400 x 109/L 150,000-400,000/mm3
pO2 (arterial) 80-100 mm Hg 80-100 mm Hg
Potassium (serum) – Newborn 3.7-5.9 mmol/L 3.7-5.9 mEq/L
Infant 4.1-5.3 mmol/L 4.1-5.3 mEq/L
Child 3.4-4.7 mmol/L 3.4-4.7 mEq/L
Adult 3.5-5.1 mmol/L 3.5-5.1 mEq/L
Potassium (urine)*** 25-125 mmol/d 25-125 mEq/24h
Progesterone (serum) (adult) – Males 0.0-1.3 nmol/L 0.0-0.4 ng/mL
Females (follicular) 0.3-4.8 nmol/L 0.1-1.5 ng/mL
(luteal) 8.0-89.0 nmol/L 2.5-28.0 ng/mL
Prolactin (serum) – Males 1-20 μg/L 1-20 ng/mL
Females 1-25 μg/L 1-25 ng/mL
Prostate specific antigen (PSA) 0-4.0 µg/L 0-4.0 ng/mL
Protein (serum) – Total 60-80 g/L 6.0-8.0 g/dL
Albumin 35-55 g/L 3.5-5.5 g/dL
Protein (urine) 10-150 mg/d 10-150 mg/24h
Prothrombin time (PT) 9-12 sec 9-12 sec
Reticulocytes 25-75 x 109/L 25,000-75,000/mm3
Sedimentation rate (ESR) 0-15 mm/h 0-15 mm/h
Sodium (serum or plasma) 135-145 mmol/L 135-145 mEq/L
Sodium (urine)*** 40-220 mmol/d 40-220 mEq/24h
Specific gravity 1.003-1.030 1.003-1.030
Sperm count 20-150 x 106/mL 20,000-150,000/mm3
Testosterone – Males 9.5-30 nmol/L 275-875 ng/dL
Females 0.8-2.6 nmol/L 23-75 ng/dL
Pregnant females 1.3-6.6 nmol/L 38-190 ng/dL
Thrombin time (plasma) < 17 sec < 17 sec
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) (serum) – Adults 0.4-4.8 mIU/L 0.4-4.8 mIU/L
-Term infants: (0-1 day) 1-39 mIU/L 1-39 mIU/L
(1-4 days) 1-17 mIU/L 1-17 mIU/L
(2-20 weeks) 1.7-9.1 mIU/L 1.7-9.1 mIU/L
(21 weeks to 20 years) 0.7-6.4 mIU/L 0.7-6.4 mIU/L
Thyroxine, total (T4) (serum)** 66-155 nmol/L 5-12 μg/dL
Thyroxine, free (FT4) (serum)** 13-27 pmol/L 1.0-2.1 ng/dL
Transaminase (serum) — AST (SGOT) 7-40 IU/L 7-40 mU/mL
ALT (SGPT) 5-35 IU/L 5-35 mU/mL
Triiodothyronine, total (T3) (serum) 1.1-2.9 nmol/L 70-190 ng/dL
Triiodothyronine, free (FT3) (serum) 3.5-6.5 pmol/L 2.4-5.0 pg/mL
Triglycerides 0.45-1.71 mmol/L 40-150 mg/dL
Urea (plasma or serum) 2.9-8.2 mmol/L see Urea nitrogen
Urea nitrogen (BUN) (plasma or serum) see Urea 8-23 mg/dL
Uric acid (serum) (enzymatic) 120-420 μmol/L 2.0-7.0 mg/dL

*Test values are method dependent

**Test values vary with age

***Test values are diet-dependent

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