UNDER REVIEW AND EDITING: VALUES NOT CONFIRMED
A reference range is a set of values used by a health professional to interpret a set of medical test results. The range is usually defined as the set of values 95% of the normal population falls within.
The reference range will vary, depending on the age, sex and race of a population, and even the instruments the laboratory uses to perform the tests. Furthermore, by definition, 5% of the normal population will fall outside the reference range.
- Items marked with a ** are part of “CHEM-7” and CHEM-20
- Items marked with a * are part of “CHEM-20”, but not CHEM-7
| Category | Test | Low | High | Unit | Comments |
| Electrolytes and Metabolites[3] | ** Sodium (Na) | 136 | 145 | mmol/L | |
| ** Potassium (K) | 3.5 | 4.5 | mmol/L | ||
| Urea | 2.5 | 6.4 | mmol/L | ** BUN – blood urea nitrogen | |
| Urea | 7 | 18 | mg/dL | ||
| ** Creatinine – male | 62 | 115 | μmol/L | ||
| ** Creatinine – female | 53 | 97 | μmol/L | ||
| ** Creatinine – male | 0.7 | 1.3 | mg/dL | ||
| ** Creatinine – female | 0.6 | 1.1 | mg/dL | ||
| ** Glucose (fasting) | 3.9 | 5.8 | mmol/L | See also glycosylated hemoglobin | |
| ** Glucose (fasting) | 70 | 105 | mg/dL | ||
| Liver function tests | * Total Protein | 60 | 80 | g/L | |
| * Albumin | 35[4] | 50 | g/L | ||
| * Total Bilirubin | 2 | 14 | μmol/L | ||
| * Direct Bilirubin | 0 | 4 | μmol/L | ||
| * Alanine transaminase (ALT) | 8 | 40 | U/L | Also called serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) | |
| * Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) | 40 | 130 | U/L | Higher in children and pregnant women. | |
| * Gamma glutamyl transferase | n/a | 50 | U/L | ||
| Other enzymes and proteins | Creatine kinase (CK) – male | 24[5] | 195 | U/L | |
| Creatine kinase (CK) – female | 24[6] | 170 | U/L | ||
| * Aspartate transaminase (AST) | 8 | 35 | U/L | Also called serum glutamic oxatoacetic transaminase (SGOT) | |
| * Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) | 85 | 285 | U/L | ||
| Amylase | n/a | 120[7] | U/L | ||
| C-reactive protein (CRP) | n/a | 5[8] | mg/L | ||
| D-dimer | n/a | 500 | ng/mL | ||
| Other ions and trace metals | Ionised calcium (Ca) | 1.15 | 1.29 | mmol/L | Some calcium is bound to albumin, thus not measured by certain techniques. |
| * Total calcium (Ca) | 2.05 | 2.55 | mmol/L | ||
| Copper (Cu) | 11[9] | 24 | μmol/L | ||
| Chloride (Cl) | 98 | 106 | μmol/L | ||
| Bicarbonate (HCO3) | 18 | 23 | mmol/L | ||
| Zinc (Zn) | 10 | 17 | μmol/L | ||
| Lipids | Triglycerides | 0.4 | 2 | mmol/L | * Total cholesterol | 3 | 5.0[10] | mmol/L |
| HDL cholesterol (male) | 0.7 | 1.9 | mmol/L | ||
| (female) | 0.9 | 2.4 | mmol/L | ||
| LDL cholesterol | 2.4 | 3[10] | mmol/L | Not valid when triglycerides >5.0 mmol/L. | |
| Tumour markers | Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) | n/a | 10 | kU/l | |
| Alpha1-AntiTrypsin (AAT) | 20 | 53 | mmol/L | 150-350 mg/dL | |
| Beta Human chorionic gonadotrophin (bHCG) | n/a | 5 | IU/l | ||
| CA-125 (also CA12.5) | n/a | 35 | U/ml | ||
| CA15.3 | n/a | 28 | U/ml | ||
| CA19.9 | n/a | 40 | U/ml | ||
| Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) – non-smokers | n/a | 3 | μg/l | ||
| Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) – smokers | n/a | 5 | μg/l | ||
| Prostate specific antigen (PSA) | n/a | 4 | μg/L | ||
| Hormones | Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) | 0.4 | 4.7 | mIU/L | Also called: Thyrotropin |
| Free thyroxine (FT4) | 9 | 24 | pmol/L | ||
| Free triiodothyronine (FT3) | 2.5 | 5.3 | pmol/L | ||
| Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) | 1.3 | 15 | pmol/L | ||
| Cortisol (0830 h) | 250 | 850 | nmol/L | Cortisol levels are higher in the morning than at night. | |
| Cortisol (1630 h) | 110 | 390 | nmol/L | ||
| Prolactin (male) | n/a | 450 | mIU/L | ||
| (female) | n/a | 580 | mIU/L | ||
| Testosterone (male) | 8 | 38 | nmol/L | ||
| (male prepuberty) | 0.1 | 0.5 | nmol/L | ||
| (female) | 0.3 | 2.5 | nmol/L |
- Not listed: ** chloride, ** carbon dioxide, * uric acid,