Lab Values

Question 1

Will normal lab values be provided on the Next Generation NCLEX exam?

Answer 1

Yes!

It is still a good idea to memorize the values of common labs.

Question 2

Lab value:

sodium

Answer 2

135 - 145 (mEq/L)

Critical: < 120 or > 160

Question 3

Lab value:

chloride

Answer 3

98 - 106 (mEq/L)

Question 4

Lab value:

potassium

Answer 4

3.5 - 5 (mmol/L)

Critical: < 3 or > 6

Question 5

Lab value:

magnesium

Answer 5

1.6 - 2.6 (mg/dL)

Question 6

Lab value:

calcium

Answer 6

8.5 - 10.5 (mg/dL)

Question 7

Lab value:

phosphorus

Answer 7

2.5 - 4.5 (mg/dL)

Question 8

Lab value:

WBC

(white blood cell)

Answer 8

5,000 - 10,000 (million/µL)

Critical value: < 2,000 or > 40,000

Question 9

Lab value:

RBC: male and female

(red blood cell)

Answer 9

• male: 4.7 - 6.6 (million/µL)
• female: 4.2 - 5.4 (million/µL)

Question 10

Lab value:

Hgb: male, female, pregnant

(hemoglobin)

Answer 10

• male: 14-18 (g/dL)
• female: 12-16 (g/dL)
• pregnant: >11 (g/dL)

Question 11

Lab value:

Hct: male, female, pregnant

(hematocrit)

Answer 11

• male: 42 - 52%
• female: 37 - 47%
• pregnant: >33%

Question 12

Lab value:

platelets

Answer 12

150,000 - 400,000 (million/µL)

Critical value: < 50,000 or > 1 million

Question 13

Lab value:

blood urea nitrogen

(BUN)

Answer 13

10 - 20 (mg/dL)

critical BUN: > 100

Question 14

Lab value:

creatinine

Answer 14

0.6 - 1.2 (mg/dL)

Critical: > 4

Question 15

Lab value:

glomerular filtration rate

(GFR)

Answer 15

> 90 (mL/min)

Average is 125 (mL/min)

Question 16

Lab value:

bilirubin in newborn

Answer 16

• < 14 (mg/dL), newborn is managed at home with sunlight and increased feedings
• > 14 (mg/dL), newborn is hospitalized
• > 20 (mg/dL), is considered toxic

Adult bilirubin is about 1-2, newborn bilirubin is always a bit high around 10.

Question 17

Lab value:

• (ALT) alanine aminotransferase
• (AST) aspartate aminotransferase
• (ALP) alkaline phosphatase

Answer 17

• ALT: 4 - 36 (U/L)
• AST: 0 - 25 (U/L)
• ALP: 20 - 140 (U/L)

• A mild elevation will be 2 - 3 times higher than normal
• A severe elevation can be in the hundreds or thousands

Question 18

Lab value:

total cholesterol

Answer 18

< 200 (mg/dL)

Question 19

Lab value:

HDL: male, female

(High-density lipoproteins)

Answer 19

• male: >40 (1.0 mmol/L)
• female: >50 (1.3 mmol/L)

>60 (1.6 mmol/L) is ideal

Question 20

Lab value:

LDL

(Low-density lipoproteins)

Answer 20

< 100 (mg/dL)

Question 21

Lab value:

protein

Answer 21

6 - 8.3 (g/dL)

Question 22

Lab value:

ammonia

Answer 22

15 - 56 (µmol/L)

Question 23

Lab value:

albumin

Answer 23

3.5 - 5 (g/dL)

Question 24

Lab value:

PT normal/control

(prothrombin time)

Answer 24

PT normal/control: 11 - 12.5 seconds

Question 25

# Lab value: **PT** therapeutic | (prothrombin time)

Answer 25

**1.5 - 2 times** the control/normal value ## Footnote Example: * 11 x 1.5 = 16.5 * 12.5 x 2 = 25 * **Therapeutic level: 16.5 - 25 seconds** Labs are different and may have a different control. If there is not a control number indicated use 11 - 12.5. The higher the number the less risk that a blood clot will form. But it also puts the client at risk for bleeding.

Question 26

# Lab value: **INR:** normal, therapeutic | (international normalized ratio)

Answer 26

* **normal:** 0.8 - 1.1 * **therapeutic**: 2 - 3 ## Footnote **Therapeutic:** the higher the number the less risk that a blood clot will form. But it also puts the client at risk for bleeding.

Question 27

# Lab value: **aPTT:** (normal/control) | (activated partial thromboplastin time)

Answer 27

**aPTT normal/control:** 25 - 35 seconds

Question 28

# Lab value: **aPTT:** therapeutic | (activated partial thromboplastin time)

Answer 28

**aPTT:** 1.5 - 2.5 times the control/normal value ## Footnote Example: * 25 x 1.5 = 37.5 seconds * 35 x 2.5 = 87.5 seconds * **Therapeutic level: 37.5 - 87.5 seconds** Labs are different and may have a different control. Some labs use 20-30 and some use 30-40. If there is not a control number indicated use 25-35 seconds. The higher the number the less risk that a blood clot will form. ​But it also puts the client at risk for bleeding.

Question 29

# Lab value: **amylase** and **lipase**

Answer 29

**0 - 160** (U/L)

Question 30

# Lab value: HbA1c | (glycated hemoglobin)

Answer 30

* **non-**diabetic: 4 - 5.7% * **good** diabetes control: \< 7% * **poor** diabetes control: \> 9%

Question 31

# Lab value: **Blood sugar:** fasting, random, critical

Answer 31

* **fasting:** 70 - 110 mg/dL (3.9 - 6.1 mmol/L) - no food for at least 8 hours before the test * **random:** ≤ 200 mg/dL (≤ 11.1 mmol/L)- may have eaten before the test * **critical:** \< 50 or \> 400 mg/dL (\< 2.8 - \> 22.2 mmol/L) *.*

Question 32

# Lab value: BNP | (B-type natriuretic peptide or brain natriuretic peptide)

Answer 32

**0 - 100** (pg/mL)

Question 33

# Lab value: troponin

Answer 33

**0 - 0.04** (ng/mL)

Question 34

# Lab value: CK | (creatine kinase)

Answer 34

**22 - 198** (U/L)

Question 35

# Lab value: uric acid

Answer 35

**2.4 - 7** (mg/dL)

Question 36

# Therapeutic drug level: digoxin

Answer 36

**1 - 2** (ng/mL) ## Footnote 2 or greater is considered toxicity

Question 37

# Therapeutic drug level: lithium

Answer 37

**0.6 - 1.2** (mmol/L) ## Footnote 2 or greater is considered toxicity.

Question 38

# Therapeutic drug level: phenytoin

Answer 38

**10 - 20** (mcg/mL) ## Footnote Greater than 20 is considered toxic.

Question 39

What is the **normal** respiration rate for an adult?

Answer 39

**12 - 20** breaths per minute

Question 40

What is a **normal** pulse oximetry/oxygen (O2) saturation?

Answer 40

95% - 100%

Question 41

What is a **normal** heart rate for an adult?

Answer 41

* **60 - 100** beats per minute * strong and regular

Question 42

What is a **normal** blood pressure (BP)?

Answer 42

**90/60** to **120/80** (mmHg) ## Footnote * **systolic** is the first number * **diastolic** is the second number

Question 43

What is a **normal** body temperature?

Answer 43

96.8° - 100.4° F | (36° - 38° C)

Question 44

What labs are included in a **CBC** (complete blood count)?

Answer 44

* Red blood cell count * Hemoglobin * Hematocrit * White blood cell count

Question 45

What labs are included in a **BMP** (basic metabolic panel)?

Answer 45

* glucose * calcium * potassium * bicarbonate * chloride * BUN * creatinine

Question 46

What labs are included in a **CMP** (complete metabolic panel)?

Answer 46

* glucose * calcium * potassium * bicarbonate * chloride * BUN * creatinine * albumin * total protein * ALP and AST * bilirubin