Lab Values Tips and Tricks
Electrolytes
Potassium: 3.5-5.0 mEq/L Calcium: 9-11 mg/dL Chloride: 98-106 mEq/L
Chloride kind of sounds like
You buy 3-5 bananas at a time. Call 911; 9-11. chlorine. Chlorine is in a swimming
pool- The best time to go
swimming is when its 98-106
degrees F outside.
Sodium 135-145 Magnesium: 1.3-2.1 Phosphorus: 3.0-4.5
Commit to memory! Almost looks like 1,2,3 just switch Commit to memory!
the 3 & 2 and add a 1 at the end.
Renal Function
BUN: 10- 20 Creatinine: 0.5-1.2
When you buy hamburger buns you Kind of sounds like creature, how would you rate an
would normally spend $10-$20, but ugly creature on a scale of 1-10? 0.5-
never more than $20. 1.2 they never make it past 2 on the
scale. (when a patient has a
creatinine level of 2 or more its too
high)
CBC
WBC: 5,000 – 10,000 RBC: Females: 4.2 to 5.4 million/uL
Males: 4.7 to 6.1 million/uL
Think of it as five tenths.
5 & 10 or 5-10 Commit to memory!
Hemoglobin: Males: 14-18 g/dL Hematocrit: Females: 37% to 47%
Females: 12 -16 g/dL Males: 42% to 52%
Females mature before
males at around age 12-16. Hematocrit is 3 times larger than hemoglobin.
Males mature later at 14-18. Females: 12x3=36 16x3=48
Males: 14x 3= 42 18x3= 54
(Numbers come close to the values)
Electrolytes
Potassium: 3.5-5.0 mEq/L Calcium: 9-11 mg/dL Chloride: 98-106 mEq/L
Chloride kind of sounds like
You buy 3-5 bananas at a time. Call 911; 9-11. chlorine. Chlorine is in a swimming
pool- The best time to go
swimming is when its 98-106
degrees F outside.
Sodium 135-145 Magnesium: 1.3-2.1 Phosphorus: 3.0-4.5
Commit to memory! Almost looks like 1,2,3 just switch Commit to memory!
the 3 & 2 and add a 1 at the end.
Renal Function
BUN: 10- 20 Creatinine: 0.5-1.2
When you buy hamburger buns you Kind of sounds like creature, how would you rate an
would normally spend $10-$20, but ugly creature on a scale of 1-10? 0.5-
never more than $20. 1.2 they never make it past 2 on the
scale. (when a patient has a
creatinine level of 2 or more its too
high)
CBC
WBC: 5,000 – 10,000 RBC: Females: 4.2 to 5.4 million/uL
Males: 4.7 to 6.1 million/uL
Think of it as five tenths.
5 & 10 or 5-10 Commit to memory!
Hemoglobin: Males: 14-18 g/dL Hematocrit: Females: 37% to 47%
Females: 12 -16 g/dL Males: 42% to 52%
Females mature before
males at around age 12-16. Hematocrit is 3 times larger than hemoglobin.
Males mature later at 14-18. Females: 12x3=36 16x3=48
Males: 14x 3= 42 18x3= 54
(Numbers come close to the values)
