Laboratory Values
Note, values may differ slightly depending on the facility/reference you are looking at.
Arterial Blood Gases (ABGs)
pH
7.35 – 7.45
PaO2
80 – 100 mmHg
PaCO2
35 – 45 mmHg
HCO3-
22 – 26 mEq/L
SpO2
95%
Cardiac Markers
*Markers of cardiac disease*
Troponin I
< 0.4 ng/mL
Troponin T
< 14 ng/L
Creatinine kinase myocardial bands (CK-MB)
0 – 3 ng/L
Myoglobin
0 – 85 ng/mL
B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)
< 100 pg/mL
Cholesterol Panel
*Predictors of cardiac disease*
Total Cholesterol
< 200 mg/dL
Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs)
< 100 mg/dL
High-density lipoproteins (HDLs)
> 40 – 60 mg/dL
Triglycerides
< 150 mg/dL
Homocysteine
4.4-10.8 mm/L
Coagulation Studies
Prothrombin time (PT)
10-13 seconds
International normalized ratio (INR)
0.9 – 1.1 for clients not prescribed warfarin
2 – 3 for clients prescribed warfarin
2.5 – 3.5 for clients with a history of cardiac valve
replacement and prescribed warfarin
(activated) Partial thromboplastin time (PTT
or aPTT)
25-35 seconds
Complete Blood Count with Differential
White blood cells (WBCs)
5,000 – 10,000/mm3
Neutrophils
Percent: 50 – 70%
Count: 3,000 – 7,000 cells/µL
Lymphocytes
Percent: 20 – 35%
Count: 1,500 – 3,000 cells/µL
Monocytes
Percent: 3 – 8%
Count: 100 – 700 cells/µL
Eosinophils
Percent: 1 – 3%
Count: 100 – 400 cells/µL
Basophils
Percent: 0.4 – 1%
Count: 20 – 50 cells/µL
Red blood cells (RBCs)
Males: 4.2 – 5.8 million/mm3
Females: 3.6 – 5.1 million/mm3
Hemoglobin (Hgb)
Males: 14 - 18 g/dL
Females: 12 - 16 g/dL
Hematocrit (Hct)
Males: 42 – 52%
Females: 36 – 48%
*Typically, 3 times the hemoglobin level.
Platelets
150,000 – 450,000/mm3
Inflammatory Markers
C-reactive protein (CRP)
< 10 mg/L
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
< 30 mm/hr
Liver Function
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
Males: 13 – 40 units/L
Females: 24 – 36 units/L
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
0 – 35 units/L
Ammonia
10 – 80 mcg/dL
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
30 – 120 units/L
Bilirubin, total
0.3 – 1 mg/dL
Pancreatic Panel
Amylase
100-300 units/L
Lipase
0 – 160 units/L
Protein
Albumin
3.5 – 5 g/dL
Total Protein
6 – 8 g/dL
Renal Function
Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
8 – 21 mg/dL
Creatinine
0.5 – 1.2 mg/dL
Serum Electrolytes
Sodium
135 – 145 mEq/L
Potassium
3.5 – 5 mEq/L
Magnesium
1.6 – 2.2 mg/dL
Calcium
9 – 10.5 mg/dL
Phosphate
2.5 – 4.5 mg/dL
Glucose
65-99 mg/dL
Serum Osmolality
Serum Osmolality
275 – 295 mOsm/kg
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
Acetaminophen Toxicity Phenytoin Toxicity
> 200 mcg/mL > 40 mcg/mL
Digoxin Toxicity Salicylate Toxicity
> 2.5 ng/mL > 100 mcg/mL
Phenobarbital Toxicity Theophylline Toxicity
> 60 mcg/mL > 20 mcg/mL
Urinalysis
Specific gravity
1.005 – 1.030
pH
4.5 – 8
Protein
2 – 8 mg/dL
Red blood cells
0-4 / (hpf)
White blood cells
0-5 / (hpf)
Glucose
Negative
Ketones
Negative
Leukocyte esterase
Negative
Nitrates
Negative
Urine Tests
Urine Osmolality
50-1200 mOsm/kg
Miscellaneous
d-Dimer
< 0.4 mcg/mL
Lactic acid
< 2 mmol/L
Prostate specific antigen
0-4 mcg/L
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
0.4 – 4.2 mIU/mL
Uric acid
< 6.5 mg/dL
References
Hoffman, J. J., and Sullivan, N. J. (2020) Medical-surgical nursing: Making connections to practice (2nd
ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.
Van Leeuwen, A. M., and Bladh, M. L. (2021). Davis’s comprehensive manual of laboratory and
diagnostic tests with nursing implications (9th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.
