Common Laboratory Reference Intervals

Laboratory Test Conventional Units (SI Units)

30-40 sec (30-40 sec)
*Activated partial thromboplastin time
For those receiving anticoagulant therapy, aPTT is 1.5–2.5
(aPTT)
times control value in seconds.
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT;
formerly known as serum glutamate 4-36 U/L (4-36 U/L)
pyruvate transferase [SGPT])

Albumin 3.5-5.0 g/dL (35-50 g/L)

Ammonia 10–80 mcg/dL (6–47 mcmol/L)

Amylase 60–120 Somogyi units/dL (100–300 U/L)

Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
(formerly known as serum glutamic
0-35 U/L (0-35 U/L)
oxaloacetic transferase [SGOT])

Total: 0.3 - 1.0 mg/dL (5.1 - 17 mcmol/L)

Bilirubin Indirect: 0.2 - 0.8 mg/dL (3.4 - 12 mcmol/L)

Direct: 0.1 - 0.3 mg/dL (1.7 - 5.1 mcmol/L)

No growth

Bacteremia: Bacteria growing in the blood can often be

Blood culture grown in the culture medium in the microbiology laboratory.
When bacteremia is suspected, antibiotics should be started
immediately after blood cultures are obtained.

Arterial pH 7.35-7.45 (7.35-7.45)

Venous pH 7.31-7.41 (7.31-7.41)

PaCO2 35-45 mm Hg (35-45 mm Hg)

*Blood gases – arterial and venous
values
Arterial PaO2 80-100 mm Hg (80-100 mm Hg)

Venous PvO2 40-50 mm Hg (40-50 mm Hg)

Bicarbonate 21-28 mEq/L (21-28 mmol/L)

*Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) 10 - 20 mg/dL (3.6 - 7.1 mmol/L)

Calcium 9-10.5 mg/dL (2.25-2.75 mmol/L)

Lumbar Protein: 15-45 mg/dL (0.15-0.45 g/L)

Glucose: 50-75 mg/dL (2.8-4.2 mmol/L)

WBCs (white blood cells): 0-5 cells/mcL (0-5 × 106/L)

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
RBCs (red blood cells): negative (negative)

Chloride: 116–122 mEq/L of CSF (116–122 mmol/L of CSF)

Pressure: <20 cm H2O (<20 cm H2O)

Chloride 98-106 mEq/L (98-106 mmol/L)

<200 mg/dL (<5 mmol/L) age dependent

*Cholesterol
Note: see below for low density lipoprotein (LDL), high
density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglyceride levels

Male: 55-170 U/L (55-170 U/L)

Creatine kinase (CK)
Female: 30-135 U/L (30-135 U/L)

Creatine kinase isozyme of heart

male: 2 -6 ng/mL (2 - 6 mcg/L)
CK-MB (CK-2)
female: 2 - 5 ng/mL (2 - 5 mcg/L)

male, 0.6-1.2 mg/dL (53-106 mcmol/L)

*Creatinine
female 0.5-1.1 mg/dL (44-97 mcmol/L)

D-dimer <50 ng/mL (<3.0 mmol/L)

Male: ≤15 mm/hr (≤15 mm/hr)

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR),
Westergren Female: ≤20 mm/hr (≤20 mm/hr)
 Male: 12-300 ng/mL (12-300 ng/L)
Ferritin (serum)
Female: 10-150 ng/mL (10-150 ng/L)

Fibrinogen 200 to 400 mg/dL (2.0 to 4.0 g/L)

*Glucose, fasting 70-99 mg/dL (3.9-5.5 mmol/L)

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) >60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (age dependent)

High density lipoprotein (HDL) >60 mg/dL (>1.55 mmol/L)

Male: 42-52% (0.42-0.52 volume fraction)

*Hematocrit (altitude dependent)
Female: 37-47% (0.37-0.47 volume fraction)

Male: 14-18 g/dL (140-180 mmol/L)

*Hemoglobin (altitude dependent)
Female: 12-16 g/dL (120-160 mmol/L)

*Hemoglobin, glycosylated or glycated

<6% (adult without diabetes)
(HbA1c [A1c])

Homocysteine (dependent on gender

4.5 -11.9 mcmol/L (4.5 -11.9 mcmol/L)
and age)

*International normalized ratio (INR) 0.81-1.2 (0.81-1.2)

Lactic acid (venous) 5–20 mg/dL (0.6–2.2 mmol/L)

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) <100 mg/dL (<2.59 mmol/L)

Lipase 0 – 160 U/L (0 – 160 U/L)

Magnesium 1.8–2.6 mEq/L (0.74–1.07 mmol/L)

Myoglobin <90 ng/mL (1.0–5.3 nmol/L)

B-type natriuretic peptide <100 ng/mL (<100 mcg/L)

Arterial: 95%-100% (95%-100%)
Oxygen Saturation Venous: 60%-80% (60%-80%)

Phosphatase alkaline (ALP) 38-126 U/L (0.65-2.14 µkat/L)

Phosphorus, phosphate 3.0-4.5 mg/dL (0.97-1.45 mmol/L)

*Platelets 150,000-400,000/mm3 (150-400 × 109/L)

*Potassium 3.5-5.0 mEq/L (3.5-5.0 mmol/L)

Protein Total 6.4-8.3 g/dL (64-83 g/dL)

11-12.5 sec (11-12.5 sec)

Prothrombin time (Protime, PT)
For those receiving anticoagulant therapy, PT is 1.5–2.0
times control value in seconds.

Male: 4.7–6.2 × 1012/L (4.7–6.2 × 1012/L)

Red blood cells
Female: 4.2–5.4 × 1012/L (4.2–5.4 × 1012/L)

*Sodium 135-145 mEq/L (135-145 mmol/L)

Specific gravity urine, Random 1.003-1.030 (same as conventional units)

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) 2–10 mcIU/mL (2–10 Miu/L)

Thyroxine (T4), total 5–12 mcg/dL (64–154 nmol/L)

Thyroxine (T4), free 0.8–2.8 ng/dL (10–36 pmol/L)

Female:35-135 mg/dL (0.40-1.52 mmol/L)

Triglycerides
Male: 40-160 mg/dL (0.45-1.81 mmol/L)

A troponin value of 0.05 to 0.49 ng/mL is considered

indeterminate; a value greater than 0.50 ng/mL indicates a
Troponin strong probability of acute myocardial infarction.

Male: 4.0-8.5 mg/dL (240-501 mcmol/L)

Uric acid
Female: 2.7-7.3 mg/dL (160-430 mcmol/L)

bilirubin, glucose, hemoglobin negative

Ph 4.0-8.0
Urine
protein 0-trace

specific gravity 1.003-1.030

Vitamin D (Total 25-hydroxyvitamin D) 30–80 ng/mL (75–200 nmol/L)

*White blood cell (WBC) count 5000-10,000/mm3 (5-10 × 109/L)

Segmented Neutrophils 62-68% (2.5-7.5 × 109/L)

Band Neutrophils 0-9% (0-1 × 109/L)

Lymphocytes 1000-4000/mm3 - 20-40% (0.1-0.4 × 109/L)

Monocytes 100-700/mm3 - 2-8% (0.1-0.7 × 109/L)

Eosinophils 50-100/mm3 - 1-4% (0.00-0.5 × 109/L)

Basophils 15-50/mm3 - 0.5-1% (0.02-0.05 × 109/L)

Note: Laboratory values may vary with different techniques and in different laboratories.

Note: In the table, *Indicates the need to know laboratory values as specified in: NCLEX-RN®
Examination: Test Plan for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (Effective
April 2019), Chicago: National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN).

References:
Ignatavicius, D., Workman, M., Rebar, C., Heimgartner, N. (2021). Concepts for interprofessional
collaborative care (10th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders.

Lewis et.al (2019), Medical-Surgical Nursing in Canada: Assessment and Management of clinical
problems (10th ed.), St. Louis: Elsevier. Appendix B Laboratory Values, Adapted by Jana Lok.

Lewis et.al (2017), Medical-Surgical Nursing: Assessment and Management of clinical problems (10th
ed.), St. Louis: Elsevier. Appendix C Laboratory Reference Intervals.

National Council of State Boards of Nursing (2018), NCLEX-RN® Examination: Test Plan for the National
Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (Effective April 2019), Chicago: National Council
of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN).

Pagana, K., Pagana, T., Pike-MacDonald, S. (2019) Mosby’s Canadian manual of diagnostic and
laboratory tests, (2nd Canadian ed.) St. Louis: Elsevier (Canadian Editor, Sandra A. Pike-MacDonald).

Copyright © 2020, 2019 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc.