Sadoughi’s Lab Cheat Sheet
Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP), also know as Chem-7
1. Sodium, Na+ (135-145 mEq/L)
a. Major extracellular (ECF) cation
b. Its primary functions in the body are: to maintain fluid volume via
maintenance of osmotic pressure, generation & transmission of nerve
impulses, and muscle contraction
2. Potassium, K+ (3.5-5 mEq/L)
a. Major intracellular (ICF) cation
b. Plays an important role in nerve conduction, muscle contraction, acid-base
balance.
c. Along with calcium and magnesium, potassium controls the rate and force of
contraction of the heart and, thus, cardiac output.
3. Chloride, Cl- (96-106mEq/L)
a. Major extracellular (ECF) anion.
b. Along with sodium, it helps to regulate the amount of fluid in the body
4. Carbon Dioxide, C02 (indirect measure of HC03) (23-30 mEq/L)
a. Helps to maintain the body’s acid-base balance (pH).
b. This test is a general measure of the alkalinity or acidity of blood.
c. In normal blood plasma, >95% of the total CO2 content is contributed by
bicarbonate ion (HCO3-), which is regulated by the kidneys.
5. Blood Urea Nitrogen, BUN (6-20 mg/dL)
a. Measures excretion function of kidneys
b. When BUN is elevated but creatinine is normal, it is likely dehydration
6. Creatinine (0.6-1.2 mg/dL)
a. Gold standard for renal function
7. Glucose (70-100 mg/dL fasting)
a. Chief energy source for body
b. If elevated, think diabetes mellitus (DM)
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Complete Blood Count (CBC)
1. WBC (5,000-10, 000 or 5.0-10.0)
a. Total number of WBCs, also known as leukocytes
b. When WBC low, it is called leukopenia
c. When WBC is high, it is called leukocytosis
d. If elevated, think infection, inflammation, or tissue injury/death
e. If decreased, think immune suppressed and susceptible to infection
2. RBC (3.5-5.5) (Women 3.5-5) (Men 4-5.5)
a. Total number of red blood cells, also known as erythrocytes
b. If decreased, think anemia or hemorrhage
c. If elevated, think live in high altitude or disorder with chronic hypoxia
3. Hgb – (Women 12-16) (Men 14-18)
a. Number of oxygen carrying proteins
b. If decreased, think anemia or hemorrhage
c. Expect transfusion to be order if Hgb is ≤7
4. Hct – (36-54%) (Women 36-48%) (Men 42-54%) (think Hgb x 3)
a. Percent of blood that is actually RBCs
b. If decreased, think anemia or hemorrhage
5. Plt (150,000-400,000)
a. Also known as thrombocytes
b. When Plts are low, it is called thrombocytopenia
c. When Plts are high, its called thrombocytosis
d. Important for clotting
WBC with Differential (“Never let monkeys eat bananas”)
1. Neutrophils (50-70%)
a. If elevated, think bacterial infection
b. If low, think immune suppressed and susceptible to infection → consider
placing on neutropenic precautions
2. Lymphocytes (20-40%)
a. If elevated, think viral infection
3. Monocytes (4-8%)
a. Nonspecific phagocyte (“garbage collector”)
4. Eosinophils (0-4%)
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a. If elevated, think allergic reaction or parasite
5. Basophils (0-2%)
Other common labs
1. BNP
a. If elevated >100, think congestive heart failure
2. D-dimer
a. If elevated >250, consider the presence of a blood clot
3. HgbA1C (also known as glycosylated hemoglobin)
a. Gold standard for diagnosis of diabetes
b. Provides information about the average blood glucose level over last 2-3
months (the life of RBC)
c. Normal is ≤5.6%
d. Prediabetic is 5.7-6.4%
e. If elevated ≥6.5%, patient is diabetic
4. Lactate
a. If ≥2, patient has sepsis.
b. If ≥4, patient has a 25% chance of death that admission
5. Troponin
a. Serial testing will be performed (i.e. troponin level q 6 hours x 3)
b. If elevated, think acute myocardial infarction (MI)
6. Lipase
a. If elevated, think pancreatitis
7. Ammonia
a. Liver detoxifies blood. If have ESLD, patient needs to be on Lactulose to draw
ammonia out of blood via stool because liver is not working.
b. If elevated in presence of ESLD, consider hepatic encephalopathy.
8. Bilirubin
a. Expect to begin to see jaundice at ≥2
b. If elevated, consider gall stone blocking the duct or liver injury (i.e. cirrhosis)
9. TSH, Thyroid stimulating hormone
a. If elevated, patient has hypothyroidism
b. If decreased, patient has hyperthyroidism
Urine Analysis (UA)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Urine color – pale yellow (hydrated) to dark yellow/amber (dehydrated)
Urine clarity – clear (cloudy may indicate pus or bacteria)
Urine pH – average is 6
Specific gravity – 1.005-1.030 measure of concentration of solute in the urine; is
the kidney able to balance fluids & electrolytes by correctly concentrating urine; it is
no good when low specific gravity or super dilute urine = kidney disease or pituitary
problem (i.e. diabetes insipidus)
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5. Protein – none (if positive consider renal disease, damaged nephron)
6. Glucose – none (if positive consider hyperglycemia in diabetes)
7. RBC – none (if hematuria consider UTI, trauma, bladder cancer; menstruation in a
female)
8. Leukocytes (WBC) esterase – negative; used to assess for UTI
9. Nitrates – negative; used to assess for UTI; some bacteria produce nitrates
10. Bacteria – used to assess for UTI
11. Ketones – none (if positive recall that it is the end product of fatty acid catabolism,
consider fasting, starving, Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Type I DM)
Note: If patient has increased WBC, bacteria, and/or leukocyte esterase, and/or nitrates
then patient has a UTI
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