Lab Results Made Simple

Reading blood work in clinical context

Ninety-six laboratory parameters, each on a single spread: reference range, units in both SI and conventional systems, causes of high and low values, and the next test to order.

Colour-coded range bars show at a glance where a result sits relative to critical thresholds.

Includes a 24-page section on pre-analytical errors — haemolysis, tourniquet time and sampling order — which cause more abnormal results than disease.

Learning outcomes

Interpret a complete blood count including differential and red cell indices.
Work up hyponatraemia and hyperkalaemia with a structured algorithm.
Separate hepatocellular from cholestatic liver injury using the R-factor.
Stage kidney injury with creatinine, eGFR and urine output criteria.
Recognise pre-analytical artefacts before treating a number.

Chapters

01
Before you read a single value
What a laboratory report is, why reference ranges are not diagnoses, and the order in which to read a panel.
Pages 1–5
02
The complete blood count
Haemoglobin, haematocrit, red cell indices, the white cell differential and platelets — what each one actually measures.
Pages 6–12
03
Inflammation and infection markers
CRP, ESR and procalcitonin: what each one actually reflects, how fast it moves, and what it cannot tell you.
Pages 13–16
04
Kidney function and electrolytes
Urea, creatinine and eGFR, then sodium, potassium and calcium — including the ECG consequences that make them urgent.
Pages 17–23
05
Liver, bile and pancreas
Separating hepatocellular injury from cholestasis, reading bilirubin properly, and knowing which values measure function rather than damage.
Pages 24–29
06
Metabolic and endocrine markers
Glucose and HbA1c, lipids, thyroid tests, vitamin D and iron studies — the values patients ask about most.
Pages 30–35
07
Practice and quick reference
Three constructed panels solved step by step, then the tables worth keeping open during a shift.
Pages 36–42