Clinical laboratory tests –
Adult normal values
This table lists reference values for the interpretation of laboratory results provided in the Medical Council of Canada exams.
All values apply to adults.
Normal values were obtained primarily from the University of Ottawa’s laboratory (Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association [EORLA]), the AMA Manual of Style, and Ottawa Hospital Laboratory Services.
Arterial blood gasesa
| Clinical laboratory test | Normal value |
| pH, arterial blood | 7.38–7.46 |
| Pco2, arterial blood | 32–45 mm Hg |
| Po2, arterial blood | 83–116 mm Hg |
| Bicarbonate (HCO3), arterial blood | 22–27 mmol/L |
| Base excess, arterial blood | −2.5 to 2.5 mmol/L |
aEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: Blood Gas & Oximetry. Last updated June 28, 2019.
Blood
Hemogram
| Clinical laboratory test | Normal value |
| Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), blooda |  |
|    Female | 0–20 mm/h |
|    Male | 0–10 mm/h |
| Hematocrit (Hct), blooda | 0.38–0.50 L/L |
| Hemoglobin (Hgb), blooda |  |
|    Female | 115–155 g/L |
|    Male | 125–170 g/L |
| Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), blooda | 80–100 fL |
| Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), blooda |  |
|    Female | 25–34 pg |
|    Male | 27–34 pg |
| Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), blooda | 315–355 g/L |
| Mean platelet volume (MPV), blooda | 9.0–14.0 fL |
| Platelet count, blooda | 130–380 × 109/L |
| Red blood cell (RBC) count, blooda |  |
|    Female | 3.50–5.00 × 1012/L |
|    Male | 4.00–5.50 × 1012/L |
| Red cell distribution width (RDW), blooda | 11.5%–15.5% |
| Reticulocyte count, absolute, bloodb | 23–90 × 109/L |
| Reticulocyte percentage, bloodc | 0.5%–1.5% |
aEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. Hematology reference ranges. Glengarry Memorial Hospital. Effective date June 25, 2019.
bFrom The Ottawa Hospital laboratory (2019).
cSzigeti, R. G. (2014, September 5). Reticulocyte count and reticulocyte hemoglobin content. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
Coagulation (Hemostasis)
| Clinical laboratory test | Normal value |
| Bleeding time (Ivy method), bloodd | 1–9 min |
| International normalized ratio (INR), nonanticoagulated, blooda | 0.9–1.2 |
| Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), nonanticoagulated, blooda | 22–30 s |
| Prothrombin time (PT), bloode | 10–14 s |
aEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. Hematology reference ranges. Glengarry Memorial Hospital. Effective date June 25, 2019.
dCharbek, E. (2016, March 2). Bleeding time. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
eGamma Dynacare.
White blood cells and Differential
| Clinical laboratory test | Normal value |
| White blood cell (WBC) count, blooda | 3.5–10.5 × 109/L |
|    Neutrophils, absolute, blooda | 2.0–7.5 × 109/L |
|    Basophils, blooda | 0–0.1 × 109/L |
|    Eosinophils, blooda | 0–0.5 × 109/L |
| Â Â Â Lymphocytes, blooda | Â |
|      Female | 0.8–3.3 × 109/L |
|      Male | 0.8–3.5 × 109/L |
|    Monocytes, blooda | 0.1–1.0 × 109/L |
aEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. Hematology reference ranges. Glengarry Memorial Hospital. Effective date June 25, 2019.
Iron studies
| Clinical laboratory test | Normal value |
| Ferritin, bloodf | Â |
|    Female | 11–307 µg/L |
|    Male | 24–336 µg/L |
| Iron, bloodg | Â |
|    Female | 9–30 µmol/L |
|    Male | 12–31 µmol/L |
| Iron-binding capacity, total (TIBC), bloodg | 45–81 µmol/L |
| Transferrin, bloodg | 2.0–3.6 g/L |
| Transferrin saturation, bloode | 0.20–0.50 |
eGamma Dynacare.
fEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: Beckman DXI. Last updated June 28, 2019.
gEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: Siemens Vista. Last updated June 28, 2019.
Thyroid
| Clinical laboratory test | Normal value |
| Thyroid peroxidase antibody, bloodh | <Â 35Â IU/mL |
| Thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone), bloodf | 0.34–5.60 mIU/L |
| Thyroxine, free (FT4), bloodf | 7.0–17.0 pmol/L |
| Triiodothyronine, free (FT3), bloodf | 3.3–6.0 pmol/L |
fEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: Beckman DXI. Last updated June 28, 2019.
hElhomsy, G. (2014, December 4). Antithyroid antibody. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
Chemical constituents
| Clinical laboratory test | Normal value |
| Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), bloodi |  |
|    At 8 a.m. | 2.2–13.3 pmol/L |
| Â Â Â At 4 p.m. | <Â 4.5Â pmol/L |
| Albumin, bloodg | 34–50 g/L |
| Aldosterone, bloodj | 61–978 pmol/L |
| Alkaline phosphatase, bloodg | 50–136 IU/L |
| Transaminaseg | Â |
|    Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood | 17–63 IU/L |
|    Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood | 15–37 IU/L |
|    γ-Glutamyltransferase (GGT), blood |  |
|        Female | 5.0–55.0 IU/L |
|        Male | 15.0–85.0 IU/L |
| Ammonia, bloodg | ≤ 35 µmol/L |
| Amylase, bloodg | 25–115 IU/L |
| Anion gap, bloodg | 5–12 mmol/L |
| Bicarbonate (HCO3), bloodb | 21–32 mmol/L |
| Bilirubin, bloodg | Â |
|    Direct (conjugated) | 2–9 µmol/L |
|    Total | 3–17 µmol/L |
| Brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)k |  |
|    BNP, blood | ≤ 50 pg/mL |
|    ð˜•-terminal pro–brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), blood | ≤ 125 pg/mL |
| CD4 T-cell count, bloodl | 500–2000 cells/μL |
| C-reactive protein, bloodg | ≤ 10 mg/L |
| Calcium (Ca), blood | Â |
|    Totalg | 2.12–2.52 mmol/L |
|    Ionizedm | 1.14–1.28 mmol/L |
| Cancer antigen (CA)Â 125, bloodf | <Â 35Â kIU/L |
| Cancer antigen (CA)Â 19-9, bloodf | <Â 35Â kIU/L |
| Carbamazepine, bloodn | 17–51 µmol/L |
| Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), bloodf | < 3.0 µg/L |
| Chloride (Cl), bloodg | 98–107 mmol/L |
| Cortisol, bloodf | Â |
|    a.m. | 185–624 nmol/L |
|    p.m. | ≤ 276 nmol/L |
| Creatine kinase (CK), bloodg |  |
|    Female | 30–190 IU/L |
|    Male | 30–250 IU/L |
| Creatinine, bloodg | Â |
|    Female | 22–75 µmol/L |
|    Male | 49–93 µmol/L |
| D-dimer, blooda | < 600 µg/L |
| Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), bloodb | ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 |
| α1-Fetoprotein, bloodf | ≤ 9.0 µg/L |
| Folate (folic acid), bloodf | ≥ 10.0 nmol/L |
| Glucose, bloodg | Â |
|    Fasting | 4.0–6.0 mmol/L |
|    Random | 4.0–11.0 mmol/L |
| Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), bloodg | 4.8%–6.0% |
| Hepatitis B surface antibodies, bloodo | ≥ 10 mIU/mL (Positive) < 10 mIU/mL (Negative) |
| Lactate, bloodm | 0.5–2.5 mmol/L |
| Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), bloodg | 100–205 IU/L |
| Lipase, bloodg | 73–393 IU/L |
| Lithium (Li), bloodn | Â |
|      Age 18–65 y | 0.6–1.2 mmol/L |
|      Age > 65 y | 0.4–0.8 mmol/L |
| Magnesium (Mg), bloodg | 0.74–1.03 mmol/L |
| Osmolality, bloodp | 275–295 mmol/kg |
| Parathyroid hormone (PTH), bloodf | 1.6–9.3 pmol/L |
| Phosphate (PO4), bloodg | 0.81–1.58 mmol/L |
| Potassium (K), bloodg | 3.5–5.1 mmol/L |
| Prostate-specific antigen (PSA), bloodf | < 3.1 µg/L |
| Protein, total, bloodq | Â |
|      Age 18–<30 y | 65–83 g/L |
|      Age ≥30 y | 65–78 g/L |
| Rheumatoid factor (RF), bloodg | ≤ 20 kIU/L |
| Sodium (Na), bloodg | 136–146 mmol/L |
| Troponin I, bloodg | ≤ 45 ng/L |
| Troponin T (TnT), bloodp | ≤ 0.1 µg/L |
| Uric acid, bloodg | Â |
|    Female | 155–400 µmol/L |
|    Male | 208–400 µmol/L |
| Urea, bloodg | 2.1–8.0 mmol/L |
| Valproic acid, bloodn | 350–700 µmol/L |
| Vitamin B12, bloodf | 133–675 pmol/L |
| Vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D), bloodf | 75–250 nmol/L |
aEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. Hematology reference ranges. Glengarry Memorial Hospital. Effective date June 25, 2019.
bFrom The Ottawa Hospital laboratory (2019).
fEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: Beckman DXI. Last updated June 28, 2019.
gEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: Siemens Vista. Last updated June 28, 2019.
iNieman, L. K., Lacroix, A., Martin, K. A. (2019, September 9). Measurement of ACTH, CRH, and other hypothalamic and pituitary peptides. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
jEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: Liaison XL. Last updated June 28, 2019.
kEzekowitz, J. A., O’Meara, E., McDonald, M. A., Abrams, H., Chan, M., Ducharme, A., et al. (2017). 2017 comprehensive update of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society guidelines for the management of heart failure. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 33, 1342–1433. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
lGilroy, S. A. (2020, March 5). HIV infection and AIDS. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
mEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: Blood Gas & Oximetry. Last updated June 28, 2019.
nEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: TDM. Last updated June 28, 2019.
oPublic Health Ontario. (2018, May 7). Hepatitis B surface antibody serologic testing updated – Changes to screening test. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
pIverson, C. (Chair). (2007). AMA manual of style: A guide for authors and editors (11th ed.). Chicago: American Medical Association.
qEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: Ortho Vitros. Last updated June 28, 2019.
Lipidsa
| Clinical laboratory test | Normal value |
| Cholesterol, total, blood | 3.5–5.2 mmol/L |
| Cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), blood |  |
| Â Â Â Female | >Â 1.3Â mmol/L |
| Â Â Â Male | >Â 1.0Â mmol/L |
| Cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), bloodb | See table below |
| Non–high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL), blood | ≤ 4.5 mmol/L |
| Triglycerides, blood | ≤ 1.7 mmol/L |
aEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: Siemens Vista. Last updated June 28, 2019.
bInterpretation of normal values for LDL varies depending on risk factors. Authors can decide if they want to include the LDL analysis table (see below).
Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Analysisa
| Cardiovascular disease risk | When to consider initiating treatment | Treatment target |
| High and intermediate | LDL level of ≥ 3.5 mmol/L | LDL level of < 2.0 mmol/L or ≥ 50% reduction in pretherapy LDL level |
| Low | LDL level of ≥ 5.0 mmol/L | ≥ 50% reduction in pretherapy LDL level |
aAdapted from the Ottawa Hospital Laboratory Services 2020.
Urinea
Urinalysis (not dipstick)b
| Clinical laboratory test | Normal value |
| Specific gravity, urine | 1.005–1.030 |
| pH, urine | 5.0–8.5 |
| Urobilinogen, urine | ≤ 16.0 µmol/L |
| Albumin to creatinine ratio, urinec | ≤ 2.0 g/mol Cr |
| Osmolality, urined | 38–1400 mOsm/kg H2O |
aAll items refer to a random specimen unless specified otherwise (e.g., 24-h specimen).
bEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: Urinalysis. Last updated June 28, 2019.
cEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: Vista Urine Biochemistry. Last updated June 28, 2019.
dPadillo, O. (2018, September). Urine Tests: Normal Values. In Merck manual professional edition. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
24-H Specimen
| Clinical laboratory test | Normal value |
| Urine calcium (Ca), unrestricted diet, 24-h specimenc | 2.5–7.5 mmol/24 h |
| Urine chloride (Cl), 24-h specimenc | 110.0–250.0 mmol/24 h |
| Urine creatinine, weight-based, 24-h specimenc | Â |
|    Female | 5.3–15.9 mmol/24 h |
|    Male | 7.1–17.7 mmol/24 h |
| Urine metanephrine, 24-h specimene | Â |
|    Female | 0.2–1.3 µmol/24 h |
|    Male | 0.3–2.0 µmol/24 h |
| Urine protein, 24-h specimen | < 0.2 g/24 h |
| Urine potassium (K), 24-h specimenc | 25.0–125.0 mmol/24 h |
| Urinary free cortisol, 24-h specimenc | 58.0–306.0 µg/24 h |
| Urine sodium (Na), 24-h specimenc | 40.0–220.0 mmol/24 h |
cEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: Vista Urine Biochemistry. Last updated June 28, 2019.
eEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: HPLC. Last updated June 28, 2019.
Reproductive hormones
| Clinical laboratory test | Normal value |
| Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), blooda |  |
| Â Female | Â |
|      18–20 y | 1.4–8.7 µmol/L |
|      21–29 y | 0.5–10.6 µmol/L |
|      30–39 y | 0.6–7.2 µmol/L |
|      40–49 y | 0.5–6.3 µmol/L |
|      50–59 y | 0.2–5.1 µmol/L |
|      60–69 y | 0.3–3.6 µmol/L |
|      70–118 y | 0.2–4.8 µmol/L |
| Â Male | Â |
|      18–20 y | 0.7–14.6 µmol/L |
|      21–29 y | 2.3–18.7 µmol/L |
|      30–39 y | 2.9–12.6 µmol/L |
|      40–49 y | 1.9–13.4 µmol/L |
|      50–59 y | 1.0–8.5 µmol/L |
|      60–69 y | 0.7–6.6 µmol/L |
|      70–118 y | 0.1–6.9 µmol/L |
| Estrogens, total, bloodb | 60–400 ng/L |
| Estradiol (E2) [report the phase of the menstrual cycle], bloodc,d |  |
| Â Â Â Female | Â |
|        Follicular phase | 50–100 pmol/L |
|        Midcycle peak | 50–200 pmol/L |
|        Luteal phase | 70–150 pmol/L |
|    Male | 37–110 pmol/L |
| Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) [report the phase of the menstrual cycle], blooda,d |  |
| Â Â Â Female | Â |
|      Midfollicular phase | 3.9–8.8 IU/L |
|      Midcycle peak | 4.5–22.5 IU/L |
|      Midluteal phase | 1.8–5.1 IU/L |
|      Postmenopausal | 16.7–113.6 IU/L |
|    Male | 1.0–19.0 IU/L |
| Human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG), nonpregnant, blooda | < 5 IU/L |
| Luteinizing hormone (LH) [report the phase of the menstrual cycle], blooda.d |  |
| Â Â Â Female | Â |
|        Midfollicular phase | 2.1–10.8 IU/L |
|        Midcycle peak | 19.2–103.0 IU/L |
|        Midluteal phase | 1.2–12.9 IU/L |
|        Postmenopausal | 10.9–58.6 IU/L |
|    Male | 1.0–9.0 IU/L |
| Progesterone [report the phase of the menstrual cycle], blooda.d | Â |
| Â Â Â Female | Â |
|      Midfollicular phase | 1.0–4.8 nmol/L |
|      Midluteal phase | 16.4–59.0 nmol/L |
|    Male | 0.5–6.6 nmol/L |
| Prolactin, blooda | Â |
| Â Â Â Female | Â |
|        Premenopausal | 3–27 µg/L |
|        Postmenopausal | 3–20 µg/L |
|    Male | 3–13 µg/L |
| Testosterone, blooda | Â |
|    Female | ≤ 2.6 nmol/L |
|    Male | 6.1–27.1 nmol/L |
aEastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association. EORLA regional biochemistry recommended reference intervals by instrumentation/analyzer: Beckman DXI. Last updated June 28, 2019.
bIverson, C. (Chair). (2007). AMA manual of style: A guide for authors and editors (11th ed.). Chicago: American Medical Association.
cPadillo, O. (2018, September). Blood Tests: Normal Values. In Merck manual professional edition. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
dFor phase of the menstrual cycle, generally, follicular phase is 0–10 days, midcycle peak is day 11–20, and luteal phase is day 21–30.
Semen analysisa
| Clinical laboratory test | Normal value |
| Ejaculate volume, semen | ≥ 1.5 mL |
| pH, semen | ≥ 7.2 |
| Sperm concentration, semen | ≥ 15 × 106 spermatozoa/mL |
| Total sperm number, semen | ≥ 39 × 106 spermatozoa/ejaculate |
| Motility, semen | ≥ 40% |
| Forward progression, semen | ≥ 32% |
| Normal morphology, semen | ≥ 4% normal |
| Sperm agglutination, semen | Absent |
| Viscosity, semen | ≤ 2-cm thread after liquefaction |
aPractice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. (2015). Diagnostic evaluation of the infertile male: a committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility, 103, e18–e125. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
Stoola
| Clinical laboratory test | Normal value |
| Fecal fat | <Â 5Â g/day in patients on a 100-g fat diet |
aPadillo, O. (2018, September). Stool Tests: Normal Values. In Merck manual professional edition. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
Tests and analyses that do not require a normal value
| Clinical laboratory test |
| Urine (not dipstick) Eosinophils, urine Sodium (Na), urine Glucose, urine Bilirubin, urine Ketone, urine Blood, urine Protein, urine Nitrite, urine Leukocytes, urine |
| Urinalysis, dipstick testing Bilirubin, urine Blood, urine Glucose, urine Ketones, urine Leukocyte esterase, urine Nitrite, urine Protein, urine |
| Chemical Constituents Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) Hepatitis A IgM antibody Hepatitis A IgG antibody Hepatitis C antibody HIV viral load |
| Stool Stool culture |
| Analyses Pleural fluid Cerebrospinal fluid Synovial fluid Ascitic fluid |
Last updated: December 2020