Lab Values Tips and Tricks
Electrolytes
Potassium: 3.5-5.0 mEq/L
You buy 3-5 bananas at a time.
Sodium 135-145
Commit to memory!
BUN: 10- 20
When you buy hamburger buns you
would normally spend $10-$20, but
never more than $20.
WBC: 5,000 – 10,000
Think of it as five tenths.
5 & 10 or 5-10
Hemoglobin: Males: 14-18 g/dL
Females: 12 -16 g/dL
Females mature before
males at around age 12-16.
Males mature later at 14-18.
Calcium: 9-11 mg/dL Chloride: 98-106 mEq/L
Chloride kind of sounds like
Call 911; 9-11. chlorine. Chlorine is in a swimming
pool- The best time to go
swimming is when its 98-106
degrees F outside.
Magnesium: 1.3-2.1 Phosphorus: 3.0-4.5
Almost looks like 1,2,3 just switch Commit to memory!
the 3 & 2 and add a 1 at the end.
Renal Function
Creatinine: 0.5-1.2
Kind of sounds like creature, how would you rate an
ugly creature on a scale of 1-10? 0.5-
1.2 they never make it past 2 on the
scale. (when a patient has a
creatinine level of 2 or more its too
high)
CBC
RBC: Females: 4.2 to 5.4 million/uL
Males: 4.7 to 6.1 million/uL
Commit to memory!
Hematocrit: Females: 37% to 47%
Males: 42% to 52%
Hematocrit is 3 times larger than hemoglobin.
Females: 12x3=36 16x3=48
Males: 14x 3= 42 18x3= 54
(Numbers come close to the values)