Physiology
Facts
Today, the fashion parade is going on, in all multi-specialty hospitals (which
resemble star hotels) to have the so-called Master Health Check- Up, which
usually includes measuring pulse, blood pressure, analyzing lung with
X-ray-chest, heart with ECG & abdomen with ultra sound scan and correlating
all data with the investigations of blood & urine. X-ray, ECG, Ultrasound
scan need some skillful intelligence in their corresponding field, to study or
read it, where as the blood pressure & pulse rate are now given as meter
reading by readily available electronic devices.
Master Health Check-Up aims at finding out or tracing the disease, in the
initial period and to treat or cure it, at that stage itself. Usually after
hearing the words “every thing is within normal limits & nothing to worry”
from the doctor, the patient mostly feels refreshed and gets rid of tiredness
or diseases. These words usually give much support to the patient morally. It
is also an Art of Healing. Due to this habit, sometimes, even if doctor doesn’t
prescribe any lab diagnosis, a patient voluntarily asks for the same and
satisfies himself with the result, if found to be normal.
Invention of physics & chemistry are not a treasure to any particular
system of medicine. It is dedicated to the world, by the scientists for the
welfare of patients and also for the advancement of the medical world. Every
one should thank the researchers who were behind these inventions of
instruments or devices or tests. No one can deny the importance of laboratory
investigations in diagnosis & assessment of prognosis and in monitoring the
betterment. Revolutionary physics and blasting chemistry make for medical
advancement as Bio-physics or as Bio-chemistry which finally came to e-medicine
also.
The lab reports evaluated with bio-chemistry are usually given in printed form
to the patients. Some times the normal values or reference values are clearly
given in the reports themselves. Sometimes, the report goes directly to the
doctor, who is capable of reading it, without any reference values. Normal range
for any individual varies with age, sex, time, device used, solvents or kit
used, sample collecting techniques (after fasting, before fasting), analyser.
Generally variations are accepted widely, as blood pressure varies according to
the situation, diet, familial tendency, exercises & moods.
The same
thing is for pulse and others tests also. Like wise, some women have periods
every 28 days which is said to be normal for females, but some would have it
for every 30 days, some would have every 26 days, and some would have every 35
days. These are all normal to them unless otherwise felt as a problem. i.e.
each and every individual has individual normal values. Against these average
or normal values, borderline variations can be always accepted, but a major difference
should be evaluated seriously.
In homeopathy, diagnosis with lab investigations and causative factor (bacteria
or virus) are not given much importance, since medicines do not act against
disease or kill bacteria or virus directly. Homeopathy treats the patient
symptoms in all ways to gain resistance or immunity. For selecting the right
drug, (for that patient not for the disease) it gives importance to character
of onset of symptoms, its aggravating or precipitating factors, and
characteristic symptoms of patient rather than disease symptoms, exciting
cause, thirst, sweat, shivering, appetite, sleep, stool habit, urination,
mental restlessness, associated symptoms and relieving factors. Homeopathy
claims that cure and comfort feeling can only be felt by the patient and cannot
be examined or diagnosed by doctor or lab findings. So homeopathy gives much
importance to patients rather than diseases. But it is not against
investigation which guides us about the progress or regress of the complaints
or diseases. Finally and firmly, an abnormal lab result will indicate to us
about the diseases.
Normal Pulse rate – 72- 80 / min at rest (it is equivalent to heart
rate). It is usually measured in radial artery in wrist. It gives idea about
the circulation.
Normal Blood pressure – usually measured in arm i.e. brachial
artery. Also sometimes it is measured in thigh i.e. femoral artery. Nowadays,
it is also measured in fingers or wrist by advanced electronic devices. The
measurement of blood pressure is a very simple technique, but it provides lot
of information, about the heart and the blood vessels. The normal average
systolic pressure varies from 110-130mms of Hg. The normal average diastolic
pressure varies from 70-90 mms of Hg. So normally blood pressure as such,
varies in person from 110/70 to 130/90 mmHg.
NORMAL LABORATORY VALUES (Averages)
HAEMOTOLOGY – Blood cellular elements
Hb or Haemoglobin
- Male—13.5-17.0 Gms%
- Female–12.0-15.5
Gms%
Red
Blood Cell Count (RBC)
- Male 4.5 to 6.0
million / cu. mm
- Women: 4.2 to 5.4
million / cu. mm.
White
Blood Cell Count (WBC)
- Range from 4,000 –
11,000/ cu. mm.
Evaluating
each type separately
- Neutrophils or
Polymorphs 50 – 60%
- Lymphocytes 30 – 50%
- Eosinophils 2 – 5%
- Monocytes 2 – 4%
- Basophils 0 – 1%
- Absolute Eosinophil
Count – 40 – 440 cells / cu. mm.
Packed
cell volume (PCV)
- Male- 40- 50 %
- Female- 38- 45 %
Mean
corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) 27-31 pg
Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) 32-36 %
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 76-96 Cu. mm.
Reticulocyte count – 0.5 – 2.0%
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
- Male- <15mm in 1
hour
- Female – < 20 mm
in 1 hour
Platelet
count –
1.5 -4.5 lakhs / cu. mm.
Coagulation
- Bleeding time – 2 –
6 minutes
- Clotting time – 3 –
9 minutes
- Prothrombin time
-12-16 s
Blood
pH –
7.35-7.45 (venous – artery)
(pH- hydrogen ion concentration which helps in denoting acidity or
alkalinity of the solution (variation from 1- 14 i.e. from most acid to most
alkali)
ELECTROLYTES
- Serum Sodium – 135
-145mEq / L
- Serum Potassium –
3.5 – 5.5mEq / L
- Serum Chloride – 98
-106mEq / L
- Serum Bicarbonate –
22 -26mEq / L
- Serum Lithium – 0.2
-1.0mEq / L
LIVER
FUNCTION TEST
Total
Serum Protein: 7.0
– 8.0Gms. %
- Albumin: 4.0 –
6.0Gms. %
- Globulin: 2.0 –
4.0Gms. %
Total
Serum Bilirubin: 0.3
to 1.0 Mg /dl
- Direct Bilirubin:
< 0.3 Mg /dl
- Indirect Bilirubin:
< 0.5 Mg /dl
Serum
Alkaline Phosphatase: 25-90. U/L
Serum Lactic Dehydrogenase: 60- 320 U/L
SGOT or Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) – 5 – 40 U/L
SGPT or Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) – 5 – 35 U/L
Biochemistry
Blood Glucose
- Fasting: 70 -110 Mg
/ dl
- Post prandial (i.e.
after food -1 ¾ hours):100 -140 Mg / dl
Blood
Urea -15 – 40 Mg / dl
- Serum Cholesterol:
150 – 240 Mg / dl
Serum Creatinine: 0.8 – 1.4 Mg / dl
Serum Uric acid: 3.0 – 7.0 Mg / dl
Serum Calcium: 8.5 – 11.0 Mg / dl
Serum Phosphorus: 3.5 – 5.5 Mg / dl
Serum Amylase- 25 – 90U/L
Serum Copper-70 – 150 Mg / dl
C-reactive protein – <10 mg/L
Creatine kinase (CPK) - Male- < 170 U/L
- Female < 130 U/L
Serum
Iron – Ferritin
- Male -60 -170 µg / L
- Female – 50 – 130 µg
/ L
Serum
gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (?-GT)
- Male -11-50 U/L
- Female – 07-32 U/L
Immunoglobulins
- IgA – 0.8 – 4 g/L
- IgG -5.5 – 16.5 g/L
- IgM -0.4 – 2.0 g/L
Prostate-specific
antigen (PSA) –
up to 4.0 µg / L
LIPIDS PROFILE should be done after 12 hours fasting
- Serum total
Cholesterol – 150 – 240 mg / dl
- Serum Triglycerides
– 70 – 150 mg / dl
- Serum HDL
cholesterol – 30 -70 mg / dl
- Serum LDL
cholesterol – 70 -130 mg / dl
- Serum VLDL
cholesterol – 20 – 40 mg / dl
URINE NORMAL
VALUES
Calcium- 0 – 300 mg / 24 hours
Protein – <0.15 g / 24 hours
pH – 5.0 – 8.0
Specific Gravity – 1.001 – 1.035
RBC’s, WBC’s, Pus cells should be Nil
SUGAR
TEST IN URINE
should be
done after 2 hours of food intake. Also collecting of mid-stream urine is
important for accurate analysis. Presence of sugar is analyzed by two methods
now, i.e. one by old benedict’s reagents and another by latest dipsticks. In
case of Benedict’s test, if results shows
- Blue colour – Nil
- Green colour – +
(0.1- 0.5 g/dl)
- Yellow colour – ++
(0.5- 1.0 g/dl)
- Orange colour – +++
(1.0- 1.5 g/dl)
- Brick red colour –
++++ (1.5- 2.0 g/dl)
for
new hope
Dr. S. Chidambaranathan, BHMS, MD (Homeo)
Laxmi Homeo Clinic
24 E. New Mahalipatti Road
Madurai, TN 625 001
India
Tel: +91-984-319-1011 (Mob /
Whatsapp)
Clinic : +91-452-233-8833 |
E-mail: drcheena@gmail.com
(Disclaimer: The contents of this column are for informational
purpose only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional
healthcare advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of
healthcare professional for any health problem or medical condition.)