This appendix gives a brief description of the System of International Units (SI UNITS) and tables of ‘normal’ values for the composition of body fluids and body wastes. In addition there are tables of average body weights according to age (infants) and height and body build (adults).
Readers should bear in mind that ‘normal’ values may vary, sometimes quite widely, in healthy individuals. Furthermore, the relationships between height, build and weight are flexible and should not be treated as absolute targets.
The International System of Units (Système International) usually referred to as SI units, was introduced in the 1970s and has been expanded and developed since. Now the SI units and symbols and certain units derived from the system are used for measurements in most scientific disciplines and are an integral part of scientific language. The units comprise three classes: base units, supplementary units and derived units. The seven base units are the metre (length), kilogram (weight), second (time), ampere (electric current), kelvin (temperature), mole (amount of substance: one mole of a compound has a mass equal to its molecular weight in grams) and candela (luminous intensity). The SI units used commonly in medicine are shown below. Some traditional measurements are still used, one example being millimetres of mercury (Hg) which is the unit for blood pressure.
SI UNITS COMMONLY USED IN MEDICINE
Quantity | SI unit (abbreviation) |
Length | metre (m) |
Area | square metre (m2) |
Volume | cubic metre (m3) = 100 litre (l or L) |
Mass | kilogram (kg) |
Amount of substance at molecular level | mole (mol) |
Energy | joule (J) |
Pressure | pascal (Pa) |
Force | newton (N) |
Time | second (s) |
Frequency | hertz (Hz) |
Power | watt (w) |
Temperature | degree Celsius (°C) |
Factor | Prefix | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
106 | mega | m |
103 | kilo | k |
10–1 | deci | d |
10–2 | centi | c |
10–3 | milli | m |
10–6 | micro | μ |
10–9 | nano | n |
10–12 | pico | P |
10–15 | femto |
1 BLOOD (PLASMA, SERUM)
Biochemical values
Substance | Approximate adult range |
|---|---|
Ammonium | 24–48 μmol/l |
Ascorbate | 45–80 μmol/l |
Base excess | 0±2 mmol/l |
Bicarbonate (serum) | 23–29 mmol/l |
Bilirubin, total (plasma) | 5–17 μmol/l |
Caeruloplasmin (serum) | 1.5–2.9 μmol/l |
Calcium (serum) | 2.1–2.6 mmol/l |
Carbon dioxide tension (Pco2) | 4.5–6.1 kPa |
-carotene | 0.9–5.6 mmol/l |
Chloride (serum) | 95–105 mmol/l |
Cholesterol (serum) | 3.9–6.5 mmol/l |
Copper (serum) | 13–24 mmol/l |
Cortisol (plasma) | 280–700 nmol/l |
Creatine (serum) | 15–61 μmol/l |
Creatinine (serum) | 62–133 μmol/l |
Fibrinogen (plasma) | 5.9–11.7 μmol/l |
Folate (serum) | 11–48 nmol/l |
Glucose, fasting (serum) | 3.9–6.4 mmol/l |
Iron (serum) | 13–31 μmol/l |
Iron binding capacity, total (serum) | 45–73 μmol/l |
Lactate | 0.6–1.8 mmol/l |
Lipids, total (plasma) | 4.0–10.0 g/l |
Osmolality (serum) | 280–295 mmol/kg |
Oxygen tension (Po2) | 11–14 kPa |
pH | 7.35–7.45 |
Potassium (serum) | 3.5–5.0 mmol/l |
Prostate specific antigens | 0–4 ng/l |
Protein (serum) total | 62–82 g/l |
albumin | 35–55 g/l |
globulin | 25–35 g/l |
Pyruvate | 45–80 μmol/l |
Sodium (serum) | 135–145 mmol/l |
Triglycerides (serum) | 0.3–1.7 mmol/l |
Urate (serum) | 0.1–0.4 mmol/l |
Urea (serum) | 4.0–8.0 mmol/l |
Haematological values
Measurement | Adult daily range |
|---|---|
Bleeding time (Ivy) | 5 minutes |
Cell counts | |
Erythrocytes, men | 4.6–6.2 × 10 12/l |
E, women | 4.2–5.8 × 10 12/l |
Leucocytes, total | 4.5–11.0 × 10 9/l |
Differential: | |
Neutrophils | 3.0–6.5 × 10 9/l |
Lymphocytes | 1.5–3.0 × 10 9/l |
Monocytes | 0.3–0.6 × 10 9/l |
Eosinophils | 50–300 × 10 6/l |
Basophils | 15–60 × 10 6/l |
Platelets | 150–350 × 10 9/l |
Reticulocytes | 25–75 × 10 9/l |
Haemoglobin, men | 2.2–2.8 mmol/l |
(13.5–18.0 g/dl) | |
H, women | 1.9–2.5 mmol/l |
(11.5–16.0 g/dl) | |
Haematocrit, men | 0.40–0.54 |
H, women | 0.37–0.47 |
Mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) | 0.42–0.48 fmol |
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) | 80–105 fl |
Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) | 0.32–0.36 |
Red cell life span (mean) | 120 days |
2 CEREBROSPINAL FLUID
Measurement | Approximate adult range |
|---|---|
Cells | 5 μl; all mononuclear |
Chloride | 120–130 mmol/l |
Glucose | 2.8–4.2 mmol/l |
Pressure | 70–180 mm water |
Protein, total | 0.2–0.5 g/l |
IgG | 0.14 of total protein |
3 FAECES
Measurement | Approximate adult range |
|---|---|
Bulk | 100–200 g/24 hours |
Dry matter | 23–32 g/24 hours |
Fat, total | 6.0 g/24 hours |
Nitrogen, total | 2.0 g/24 hours |
Urobilinogen | 40–280 mg/24 hours |
Water | 0.65 g/24 hours |
4 URINE
Measurement | Approximate adult range |
|---|---|
Albumin | 0.2–1.5 μmol/24 hours |
Calcium | 2.5–7.5 mmol/24 hours |
Catecholamines (adrenalin) | 55 nmol/24 hours |
Chloride | 110–250 mmol/24 hours |
Copper | 0.8 μmol/24 hours |
Creatine, men | 300 μmol/24 hours |
C, women | 700 μmol/24 hours |
Creatinine | 9–17 mmol/24 hours |
Glucose | 11 mmol/l |
Magnesium | 3.0–4.5 mmol/24 hours |
Osmolality | 38–1400 mmol/kg water |
pH | 4.6–8.0 |
Phosphorus (inorganic) | 20–45 mmol/24 hours |
Porphyrins: | |
Coproporphyrin | 77–380 nmol/24 hours |
Uroporphyrin | 12–36 nmol/24 hours |
Potassium | 25–100 mmol/24 hours |
Protein | 10–150 mg/24 hours |
Sodium | 130–260 mmol/24 hours |
Urate | 1.2–3.0 mmol/24 hours |
5 TEMPERATURE
Normal, adults | 36.6–37.2 °C |
children | 36.5–37.5 °C |
infants | 37.5–38.5 °C |
Hyperpyrexia (q.v.) | 41.6 °C |
Hypothermia (q.v.) | 35.0 °C |
NB The temperature in the axilla or groin is about 0.5 °C lower, and in the rectum about 0.5 °C higher, than the oral temperature.
1 children, birth to 5 years, sexes combined
Age | Standard weight (kg) | Standard height (cm) |
|---|---|---|
0 (birth) | 3.4 | 55 |
1 month | 4.3 | |
2 months | 5.0 | |
3 months | 5.7 | 60 |
4 months | 6.3 | |
5 months | 6.9 | |
6 months | 7.4 | 65 |
8 months | 8.4 | |
10 months | 9.3 | |
12 months | 9.9 | 75 |
18 months | 11.3 | 80 |
2 years | 12.4 | 85 |
3 years | 14.5 | 95 |
4 years | 16.5 | 100 |
5 years | 18.4 | 105 |
2 adults, according to height and build
Men
Height (m) | Small | Build (weight in kg) Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
1.550 | 50.8–54.4 | 53.5–58.5 | 57.2–64.0 |
1.575 | 52.2–55.8 | 54.9–60.3 | 58.5–65.3 |
1.600 | 53.5–57.2 | 56.2–61.7 | 59.9–67.1 |
1.625 | 54.9–58.5 | 57.6–63.0 | 61.2–68.9 |
1.650 | 56.2–60.3 | 59.0–64.9 | 62.6–70.8 |
1.675 | 58.1–62.1 | 60.8–66.7 | 64.4–73.0 |
1.700 | 59.9–64.0 | 62.6–68.9 | 66.7–75.3 |
1.725 | 61.7–65.8 | 64.4–70.8 | 68.5–77.1 |
1.750 | 63.5–68.0 | 66.2–72.6 | 70.3–78.9 |
1.775 | 65.3–69.9 | 68.0–74.8 | 72.1–81.2 |
1.800 | 67.1–71.7 | 69.9–77.1 | 74.4–83.5 |
1.825 | 68.9–73.5 | 71.7–79.4 | 76.2–85.7 |
1.850 | 70.8–75.7 | 73.5–81.6 | 78.5–88.0 |
1.875 | 72.6–77.6 | 75.7–83.9 | 80.7–90.3 |
1.900 | 74.4–79.4 | 78.0–86.2 | 82.6–92.5 |
Women
Height (m) | Small | Build (weight in kg) Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
1.425 | 41.7–44.5 | 43.5–48.5 | 47.2–54.0 |
1.450 | 42.6–45.8 | 44.5–49.9 | 48.1–55.3 |
1.475 | 43.5–47.2 | 45.8–51.3 | 49.4–56.7 |
1.500 | 44.9–48.5 | 47.2–52.6 | 50.8–58.1 |
1.525 | 46.3–49.9 | 48.5–54.0 | 52.2–59.4 |
1.550 | 47.6–51.3 | 49.9–55.3 | 53.5–60.8 |
1.575 | 49.0–52.6 | 51.3–57.2 | 54.9–62.6 |
1.600 | 50.3–54.0 | 52.6–59.0 | 56.7–64.4 |
1.625 | 51.7–55.8 | 54.4–61.2 | 58.5–66.2 |
1.650 | 53.5–57.7 | 56.2–63.0 | 60.3–68.0 |
1.675 | 55.3–59.4 | 58.1–64.9 | 62.1–69.9 |
1.700 | 57.2–61.2 | 59.9–66.7 | 64.0–71.7 |
1.725 | 59.0–63.5 | 61.7–68.5 | 65.8–73.9 |
1.750 | 60.8–65.3 | 63.5–70.3 | 67.6–76.2 |
1.775 | 62.6–67.1 | 65.3–72.1 | 69.4–78.5 |
An individual assessment of a person's size can be made by using the BODY MASS INDEX (BMI). (See also OBESITY.)