The patient will be asked what kind of medications he is taking, including prescriptions and nutritional supplements. The test requires little preparation for the patient. Two blood culture bottles (one for anaerobic and one for aerobic specimens).Sterile syringe (20 cc) and three needles (usually 20 gauge).Supplies and equipment required for a blood culture are: The test is relatively simple for the patient and involves a simple blood draw.Ī blood culture is being done to determine which specific organism or bacteria is causing the problem and how best to combat it. Venous blood is used as a specimen for complete blood count (CBC) which is a basic screening test that is frequently ordered to give an idea about the health of a patient.Ī blood culture is a fairly routine test that identifies a disease-causing organism in the blood, especially in patients who have temperatures that is higher than normal, for an unknown reason. Here are the normal lab values related to erythrocyte studies which include hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell count, serum iron, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Reporting of the results to the appropriate members of the healthcare team.Compare the previous and current test results.Additional responsibilities during post-test include: For example, if a contrast media was injected during a CT scan, the nurse should encourage the patient to increase fluid intake to promote excretion of the dye. Ensuring the correct labeling, storage, and transportation of the specimen.ĭuring the last part of diagnostic testing, the nursing care revolves around observations and follow-up activities for the patient.Providing emotional support to the patient and monitoring the patient’s response during the procedure.Use of standard precautions or sterile technique if necessary.Additional responsibilities during intratest are: Providing information and answering client questions about the procedure.ĭuring intratest, the main focus is specimen collection and performing or assisting with certain diagnostic procedures.Preparation of a consent form, if required.Preparation of the equipment and supplies needed.Assessment of the patient to assist in determining precautions. In the pretest, the main focus is on preparing the client for the diagnostic procedure. Nurses have responsibilities for each phase of diagnostic testing. Feel free to share these cheat sheets for normal lab values!ĭiagnostic testing involves three phases: pretest, intratest, and post-test. Simply click on the images above to get the full resolution format that you can use for printing or sharing. You can download a summary or cheat sheet of this normal laboratory values guide below. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Normal Lab Valuesĭownload Free Normal Lab Values Cheat Sheet.Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) Normal Lab Values.Lipoprotein Profile (Lipid Profile) Normal Lab Values.Liver Function Studies Normal Lab Values.Serum Creatinine (Cr), Creatinine (Urine), and Creatinine Clearance (CrCl).Renal Function Studies Normal Lab Values.Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT).Prothrombin Time, International Normalized Ratio (PT/INR).Platelets (Pt), Mean Platelet Volume (MPV), Fibrinogen.Red Blood Cells (RBC) Normal Lab Values.Download Free Normal Lab Values Cheat Sheet.Please note that laboratory values may vary from agency to agency. Lab tests are used to help confirm a diagnosis, monitor an illness, and the patient’s response to treatment. Diagnostic and laboratory tests are tools that provide invaluable insights and information about the patient. Knowing the different normal lab values is an important step in making an informed clinical decision as a nurse.
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