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Shelf Exams - Labs
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Yes. If the normals are not provided right in the question stem (as they frequently are), the inside of the front and back covers of the test contain all normal values that you need.
Yes, don't waste time memorizing.
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That said, having a rough idea of your most common values (CBC, BMP, Mg, Phos) will save you some time from having to flip back and forth. If a question gives you Na = 120, hopefully you realize that something is wrong.
If you're rounding on patients every day, you should pretty much have a general idea of ballpark figures for basic electrolytes.
If you make it through a rotation like surgery/medicine without knowing the values for sodium, you have issues.
i think this is right on, especially if they are going to make them abnormal, they are usually grossly abnormal (ie not just a little off)
Lab values will be provided but don't depend on looking them up...esp. the common ones like Na, K, Ca, MCV, HCT, Hgb and the blood gases (pH, pCO2 and HCO3). I had those memorized from everyday use in the hospital. And they usu. provide the normal values for the not-so-common ones (say, estriol or growth hormone)
You will barely have time to answer all the questions as it is; you will waste a hell of a whole lot of time if you have to look up the normal values for every lab presented for every question.
