Below is a selection of reference ranges for various haematological and biochemical investigations. Always consult with your local laboratory, as ranges often differ between labs. This page is intended for educational purposes only and should never be used for clinical decision making.
Full blood count¹
Haemoglobin – (♂ 130–180 g/ L ) // (♀ 115–165 g/ L)
White cell count (WCC)
- Total – 3.6–11.0 × 109/ L
- Neutrophils – 1.8–7.5 × 109/ L
- Lymphocytes – 1.0–4.0 × 109/ L
- Monocytes – 0.2–0.8 × 109/ L
- Eosinophils – 0.1–0.4 × 109/ L
- Basophils – 0.02–0.10 × 109/ L
Platelet count – 140–400 × 109/ L
Red cell count (RCC) – (♂ 4.5–6.5 × 1012/ L) // (♀ 3.8–5.8 × 1012/ L)
Haematocrit – (♂ 0.4–0.54L/ L) // (♀ 0.37–0.47L/ L)
Mean cell volume (MCV) – 80–100 fL
Mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) – 27-32 (pg)/cell
Reticulocyte count – 0.2 – 2%
Coagulation¹
Prothrombin time (PT) – 10–14 seconds
Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT) – 24–37 seconds
Fibrinogen – 1.50 – 4.50 g/L
Haematinics¹
Ferritin – (♂ 25–350 ng/mL) // (♀ 10-300 ng/mL)
Vitamin B12 – 180-1000 pg/mL
Folate – >4.0 ng/mL
Biochemistry ¹
Urea and electrolytes (U&Es)
Na+ – 133–146 mmol/ L
K+ – 3.5–5.3 mmol/ L
Ca2+(adjusted) – 2.2-2.6 mmol/L
Mg2+ – 0.7–1.0 mmol/ L
Urea – 2.5 – 7.8 mmol/L
Creatinine – (♂ 59–104 μmol/ L) // (♀ 45–84 μmol/ L)
Liver function tests (LFTs)
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) – 30–130 U/ L
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) – (♂ <41 U/ L) // (♀<33 U/ L)
Bilirubin – <21 μmol/ L
GGT – (♂ <60 U/ L) // (♀<40 U/ L)
Albumin – 35–50 g/ L
Other
Creatine kinase (CK) – (♂ 40–320 U/ L) // (♀ 25–200 U/ L)
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) – 240–480 U/ L
Lactate (plasma) – 0.5 – 2.2 mmol/L
Urate – (♂ 200–430 μmol/ L) // (♀ 140–360 μmol/ L)
Amylase – 28–100 U/ dL
Lipids
Cholesterol – < 5 mmol/L
Triglyceride – 0.55–1.90 mmol/ L
LDL – < 3mmol/L
HDL – > 1 mmol/L
Cholesterol/HDL – < 4
Inflammatory markers
ESR
- Male – (≤49 years old = 1-7) (≥50 years old = 2-10)
- Female – (≤49 years old = 3-9) (≥50 years old = 5-15)
CRP – < 5mg/L
Endocrinology values
TSH – 0.4–4.0 mU/ L ²
Free T4 – 9 – 24 pmol/L
Free T3 – 3.5 – 7.8 pmol/L
Growth hormone (random) – (♂< 5 ng/mL) // (♀< 10 ng/mL).
Cortisol (random) – 137 – 429 nmol/ L
Testosterone
- Male <50 – 10-45 nmol/L
- Male >50 – 6.2-26 nmol/L
Blood glucose ³
Fasting blood glucose – 4.0 to 6.0 mmol/L
Postprandial (2 hours after eating) – up to 7.8 mmol/L
HbA1c – < 42 mmol/mol (6.0%)
Arterial blood gas
pH – 7.35 – 7.45
pO2 – 11 – 13 kPa
pCO2 – 4.7 – 6.0 kPa
HCO3 – 22 – 26 mmol/L
Base Excess – (-2 to +2 mmol/L)
References
1. East Sussex Healthcare – Laboratory – http://www.esht.nhs.uk/EasysiteWeb/getresource.axd?AssetID=375157
2. British Thyroid Foundation – http://www.btf-thyroid.org/information/leaflets/34-thyroid-function-tests-guide
3. Diabetes UK – http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
