Lab Values and their meaning

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In my preparation for my second attempt to pass the NCLEX-RN, I'd like to ask any of you if you know of a site or maybe you have created one on commonly asked lab values on the exam. Signs and symptoms, as well as reasoning behind the lab value, and intervention to correct the value. I'd like to know if I can get a copy of your study guide. I know we should not only memorize these values but to understand what is going on in the body for it to react the bad/good way. Suzanne, can you suggest of any? Thank you!

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The book that is included with the Saunder's Review has this information.

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Yes, I absolutely agree with Suzanne!!!

As I was doing questions from Saunders cd, I wrote down every lab value.

When I finished the cd, I had a huge list of ALL the lab values you can only think of. And about the meaning, I think most of the values speak for themselves. For example: platelets below 100.000- bleeding, or low rbc- anemia. like that.

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nurseMargo said:
Yes, I absolutely agree with Suzanne!!!

As I was doing questions from Saunders cd, I wrote down every lab value.

When I finished the cd, I had a huge list of ALL the lab values you can only think of. And about the meaning, I think most of the values speak for themselves. For example: platelets below 100.000- bleeding, or low rbc- anemia. like that.

We have to know all lab values? And how many there? How you remember all of this. Names I can remember but how to remember side effects?

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inkbh said:
We have to know all lab values? And how many there? How you remember all of this. Names I can remember but how to remember side effects?

Yes, I think we need to know lab values. At least the most common ones.

When are you taking your test?

How are you studying?

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I just started to read Saunder's book. I will take test maybe in a couple of month when I will have permission to take a test.

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inkbh said:
I just started to read Saunder's book. I will take test maybe in a couple of month when I will have permission to take a test.

Oh, ok, the reason i asked was, I just thought that your test is soon and you don't have enough time to learn all the values. But in your case, I suggest you don't worry about the labs. Just do the questions every day and you'll slowly, without even noticing become very good and memorize all of it.

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nurseMargo said:
Oh, ok, the reason I asked was, I just thought that your test is soon and you don't have enough time to learn all the values. But in your case, I suggest you don't worry about the labs. Just do the questions every day and you'll slowly, without even noticing become very good and memorize all of it.

So CD has all the lab values and by answering Question I can learn? Do you using Saunder's CD?

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inkbh said:
So CD has all the lab values and by answering Question I can learn? Do you using Saunder's CD?

Yes.

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I think we don't have to know all the lab values. Mostly the ones that are being watched for all the time are K level, Na, Mag, Chloride, BUN, creatinine, urine SG, H&H, WBC, INR, PT/PTT...

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You are responsible for knowing the basics and their ranges. You can get quesitons based on them. ?

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Well, I have taken the NCLEX three times and all three times I saw the same basic lab values (I wrote down the ranges from the Saunders book). Here the are:

Potassium: 3.5-5.1

Sodium: 135-145 mEq/L

Chloride: 98-107

BUN: 5-20 mg/dL

Serum Creatinine: 0.6-1.3

Magnesium: 1.6-2.6 mg/dL

WBC: 4,500-11,000

SED Rate: 0-30 mm/hr

Total Bili:

Also, don't forget to know the normal ranges for ABGs and now what is what during metabolic and respirtatory acidosis and alkalosis!

pH: 7.35-7.45

pCO2: 35-45 mmHg

HCO3: 22-27 mEq/L

pO2: 80-100

I was also once asked about Lithium levels, so here is the information I pulled from the Saunders book about that.

0.8-1.2 mEq - therapeutic level

0.6-1.4 mEq - maintenance dose

1.0-1.5 mEq - during acute mania

> or equal to 3.5 mEq - toxic level = SEIZURE!

Hope this helps anyone who needs it. All information and values were taken DIRECTLY from the Saunders Q&A Book.

Brandi ?

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