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Blood Tests*

Test Reference Range or Threshold

(Conventional Units†)

Acidity (pH) 7.35–7.45

Alcohol (ethanol) 0 mg/dL (more than 0.1 mg/dL usually indicates

intoxication)

Ammonia 15–50 units/L

Amylase 53–123 units/L

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA)‡ 0 (negative result)

Ascorbic acid 0.4–1.5 mg/dL

Bicarbonate (carbon dioxide content) 18–23 mEq/L

Bilirubin Direct: Up to 0.4 mg/dL

Total: Up to 1.0 mg/dL

Blood volume 8.5–9.1% of body weight

Calcium 8.5–10.5 mg/dL (slightly higher in children)

Carbon dioxide pressure (expressed

as a comparison with how high the

level of mercury [Hg] rises in a tube

due to air pressure at sea level)

35–45 mm Hg

Carboxyhemoglobin (carbon

monoxide in hemoglobin)

Less than 5% of total hemoglobin

CD4 cell count 500–1500 cells/μL

Ceruloplasmin 15–60 mg/dL

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Chloride 98–106 mEq/L

Complete blood cell count (CBC) See individual tests: Hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean

corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular

hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular

volume, platelet count, and white blood cell count

Copper 70–150 μg/dL

Creatine kinase (CK), also called

creatine phosphokinase (CPK)

Male: 38–174 units/L

Female: 96–140 units/L

Creatine kinase (CK) in its different

forms (isoenzymes)

5% or less of CK-MB (the form that occurs mainly in

heart muscle)

Creatinine 0.6–1.2 mg/dL

Electrolytes See individual tests: Calcium, chloride, magnesium,

potassium, and sodium (which are routinely tested)

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) Male: 1–13 mm/hour

Female: 1–20 mm/hour

Glucose Fasting: 70–110 mg/dL

Hematocrit Male: 45–52%

Female: 37–48%

Hemoglobin Male: 13–18 g/dL

Female: 12–16 g/dL

Iron 60–160 μg/dL (higher in males)

Iron-binding capacity 250–460 μg/dL

Lactate (lactic acid) Venous: 4.5–19.8 mg/dL

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Arterial: 4.5–14.4 mg/dL

Lactic dehydrogenase 50–150 units/L

Lead 20 μg/dL or less (much lower in children)

Lipase 10–150 units/L

Lipids:

Cholesterol, total Less than 225 mg/dL (for age 40–49 yr; increases

with age)

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) 30–70 mg/dL

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) 60 mg/dL

Triglycerides 40–200 mg/dL (higher in males)

Liver function tests Include bilirubin (total), phosphatase (alkaline),

protein (total and albumin), transaminases (alanine

and aspartate), prothrombin

Magnesium 1.5–2.0 mg/dL

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) 27–32 pg/cell

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin

concentration (MCHC)

32–36% hemoglobin/cell

Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 76–100 cubic μm

Osmolality 280–296 mOsm/kg plasma

Oxygen pressure (expressed as a

comparison with the level of mercury

[Hg] in a tube, which results from air

pressure at sea level)

83–100 mm Hg

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Oxygen saturation (arterial) 96–100%

Partial thromboplastin time (PTT) 30–45 seconds

Phosphatase (alkaline) 50–160 units/L (higher in infants and adolescents,

lower in females)

Phosphorus 3.0–4.5 mg/dL

Platelet count 150,000–350,000/mL

Potassium 3.5–5.0 mEq/L

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) 0–4 ng/mL (increases with age)

Protein:

Total 6.0–8.4 g/dL

Albumin 3.5–5.0 g/dL

Globulin 2.3–3.5 g/dL

Prothrombin time (PT) 10–13 seconds

Red blood cell (RBC) count 4.2–5.9 million/mL

Sodium 135–145 mEq/L

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) 0.5–5.0 m units/L

Transaminases (liver enzymes):

Alanine (ALT) 1–21 units/L

Aspartate (AST) 7–27 units/L

Troponin in its different forms:

I Less than 1.6 ng/mL

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T Less than 0.1 ng/mL

Urea nitrogen (BUN) 7–18 mg/dL

Uric acid 3.0–7.0 mg/dL

§ 30–65 μg/dL

White blood cell (WBC) count 4,300–10,800 /mL

*Blood can be tested for many other substances as well.†Units are explained in Appendix I. Conventional units can be converted to international units by

using a conversion factor. International units (IU), a different system, are sometimes used by

laboratories.‡ Other antibodies can also be identified.§Other vitamins can also be measured.

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Vitamin A