Lab Values HELP!!!!!!!!

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · May 2, 2012

This mnemonic I found on the web,K+ 3.5 – 5

Ca+ 4.5.- 5 ionized

Ca+ 8.5-10.2

Mg 1.5-2.5

Phos 1.8-2.6

Na+ 135-145

Cl 95-105

Crt .5-1.2

BUN 10-20

PTT 60-70 or 1 ½ times higher if on Heparin

PT 11.0 – 12.5 or 2.o -3.5 times higher if on coumadin

INR 2.0-3.5 for coumadin

WBC 5-10

RBC 5

HCT 40

Hgb 15

pH 7.35-7.45 (40)

co2 35-35

. For me I’m going to remember:

On vacation I -

Ate 4 bananas with 5 glasses of milk, read 2 magazines about 2 fossils.

Spent $140 on Napkins and a $100 on Clear heals.

Did 15 BUN exercises and drank 1 Creatine shake .

Met, 3 Idiots , 11 Pets and 65 Hunks.

Translation......

Ate 4 bananas (K+ found in bananas) with 5 glasses of milk (ca+ found in milk), read 2 magazines (magnesium) about 2 fossils (phosphorus).

Spent $140 on Napkins (Na+)and a $100 on Clear heals. (Cl)

Did 15 BUN exercises and drank 1 Creatine shake (Creatinine) .

Met, 3 Idiots (I for INR),

11 Pets ( P is for PT) and 65 Hunks. (H is for heparin’s PTT). PTT…Heparin look at the 2 TT connect them & you have an H…..Heparin

Also PTT is ~30-45 secs…~2x’s more than PT.

Then the other (PT) has to be Coumadin ~11-15 secs

another helpful wab site

Learn: Kaplan Lab Values (by star93064) - Memorize.com - Remember and Understand

BigtimeRN · May 2, 2012

This is a great way to remember the values.. and you can modify it to fit your way of learning

guest042302019, BSN, RN · May 2, 2012

Make up your own mneumonic. Similar to the one above, but it will be more memorable for you if you create it yourself. It'll be more meaningful. Flashcards could help. Also, you could simply practice looking at lab values. For instance, we know that sodium is 135-145. Write out random numbers and determine if they are low/high/normal. For instance: 132,147,135,138,142,145,137,134,131,148,146. Do this for each lab. You'll get practice this way. Or, have a study buddy do this. Aside from memorization, the only way I got to know numbers was exposure over and over. Practicing looking at labs in charts that is. Good luck!

calljs15, ADN · May 5, 2012

Flashcards are a great way to remember lab values. You can take them with you anywhere, and pull them out when you have a spare minute and review.

cndn_grl08 · May 7, 2012

Make up your own mneumonic. Similar to the one above, but it will be more memorable for you if you create it yourself. It'll be more meaningful. Flashcards could help. Also, you could simply practice looking at lab values. For instance, we know that sodium is 135-145. Write out random numbers and determine if they are low/high/normal. For instance: 132,147,135,138,142,145,137,134,131,148,146. Do this for each lab. You'll get practice this way. Or, have a study buddy do this. Aside from memorization, the only way I got to know numbers was exposure over and over. Practicing looking at labs in charts that is. Good luck!

That's how I learned them too, by looking at them in charts and determining (without looking at what the chart says) if they are high, low, or normal on your own.

aycerr · Jun 16, 2012

Thanks for the tips..