Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 July 2010
The interpretation of any clinical laboratory test involves an important concept in comparing the patient's results to the test's ‘reference range.’ This range is established by testing a large number of healthy people and observing what appears to be ‘normal’ for them. The results of this specific population of people are averaged and a range (±2 standard deviations of the average) of normal values is established. This incorporates 95% of the patients sampled. Some factors that influence these values are the patient's age, sex, diet, stress, anxiety and medications being taken.
Note: reference ranges are very institution dependent. These are a rough guide. Please consult your local guidelines.
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