Lab Values

Question 1

Liver Function Test

Answer 1

• Checks for 2 enzymes in blood:
  1. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
  2. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
• Increased levels of both suggest liver damage

Question 2

Blood Pressure

Answer 2

-Systolic Max. over Diastolic Min.
-Healthy Adult = 120/80mm Hg
-Hypotension: Systolic < 90
Diastolic < 60
-Hypertension: Systolic >140
Diastolic >90
-Blood Pressure of 180/110 is a hypertensive emergency in which cardiac arrest can occur

Question 3

Hemoglobin

Answer 3

-abbreviated as Hgb
-iron-containing red blood cell that carries O2 rich blood
-low Hgb can cause hypoxia
-men = higher than women
-adults = higher than children
-normal range = 11-18g/dL

Question 4

Platelets

Answer 4

-normal = 150,000 - 450,000 per microliter of blood
-if platelet count is below 50,000, IR procedures may need to be post-poned

Question 5

Potassium (K)

Answer 5

-indicates how well fluids and electrolytes are retained.
-abnormal levels lead to: nausea, vomiting, excessive urination, confusion, diarrhea, hypotension, arrhythmias, paralysis
-Normal: 3.5 - 5.0 mEq/L

Question 6

Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)

Answer 6

-evaluates how well kidneys remove urea from blood
-checks blood nitrogen level
-indicates urea excretion
-If kidney dont adequately filter urea:
*nitrogen in blood increases
-Normal range: 7-20mg/dL
-High Values: indicate poor kidney function(high BP, diabetes, heart failure, dehydration)

Question 7

Serum Creatinine Test

Answer 7

-Used to identify kidney damage
-Kidneys filter and excrete creatinine
-High values suggest inadequate kidney function
-Normal: 0.6 - 1.3mg/dL
-High values suggest: poor renal function, low blood volume, dehydration, high protein diet

Question 8

Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)

Answer 8

-the overall rate of filtration from all glomeruli
-used to determine severity of kidney failure
-should be >60mL/min. for contrast use
-effects of glomerular disease often permanent

Question 9

Prothrombin Time (PT)

Answer 9

-Examines how quickly blood clots
-Assesses: Liver Function
*Liver disease prevents clotting factors
-Evaluates: Hemophilia, How quickly a clot forms, vitamin K levels
-Normal : 10-13seconds

Question 10

Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT)

Answer 10

-amount of time it takes blood to clot
-measures different clotting factors than the PT test.
-typically performed WITH the PT test
-Normal: 60-70 Seconds
-High Values: Liver disease, Kidney disease, Hemophilia, use of anticoagulants, overproduction of antibodies

Question 11

International Normalized Ratio (INR)

Answer 11

-standardized system
-INR and PT often interchangeable
-Normal INR: 0.8 - 1.1
-If INR is above 1.5 : administer coagulation therapy before procedure

Question 12

White Blood Cell Count (WBC)

Answer 12

-below 4,500 WBC per microliter of blood indicate an increased risk of infection.
-Normal = 4,500 - 10,000
-Low = Cancer, infection, autoimmune disease
-High = Infection, medication

Question 13

Activated Clotting Time (ACT)

Answer 13

-Measures time for blood to clot after an intrinsic pathway activator
-Related to PT, and PTT but useful when these tests are not effective or too slow
-ACT machine is required when using large amounts of heparin.
-Measures heparin effectiveness before, during, and after the procedure.
-Important when implanting devices for treatment.
- Normal range: 80-160 seconds