The Medical Algorithms Project       
 
Chapter : ch40. Unit Conversions Section : Unit Conversions

  Conversion of Conventional to SI Units: Blood Chemistries

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Overview :

Results of chemistry tests performed on serum, plasma, whole blood or erythrocytes can be converted between conventional (US) and SI units if the conversion factors are known.

Specimen: serum (S), plasma (P), whole blood (WB) or erythrocytes (RBCs)

Test, Method

Speci-men

Conventional Units

Factor for Conversion

SIU Units

11-Deoxycorticosterone (DOC)

S

pg/mL

3.03

pmol/L

Acetone

S

mg/dL

172.95

µmol/L

Acid phosphatase, prostatic

S

U/L

1

U/L (nKat/L)

Acid phosphatase, prostatic, Bessey-Lowry-Brock

S

Bessey-Lowry-Brock units per L at 37°C

16.67

U/L at 37° C (nkat/L)

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

S

pg/mL

1

ng/L

Adrenocorticotropic hormone ACTH)

S

pg/mL

0.2202

pmol/L

Alanine amino-transferase (ALT, SGPT)

S

U/L at 37° C

1

U/L at 37° C

Alanine amino-transferase (ALT, SGPT)

S

U/L at 37° C

0.017

µKat/L

Albumin

S

g/dL

10

g/L

Aldolase, Sibley-Lehninger

S

U/L at 37° C

0.74

U/L at 37° C

Aldolase

S

U/L

0.017

µKat/L

Aldosterone

S

ng/dL

0.0277

nmol/L

Alkaline phosphatase, King-Armstrong

S

King Armstrong units/dL

7.1

U/L

Alkaline phosphatase

S

U/L

0.017

µKat/L

Alkaline phosphatase, Babson

S

Babson units per L at 37°C

1

U/L at 37° C

alpha-1 Antitrypsin

S

mg/dL

0.01

g/L

alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP)

S

ng/mL

1

µg/L

alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP)

S

ng/dL

10

ng/L

alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP)

S

mg/dL

0.01

g/L

alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP)

S

mg/dL

10

mg/L

alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP)

S

µg/dL

10

µg/L

Ammonia

P

µg NH3/dL

0.5872

µmol NH3/L

Ammonia

P

µg N/dL

0.714

µmol N/L

Amylase, Somogyi (saccharogenic)

S

U/dL

1.85

U/L

Amylase

S

U/L

0.017

µKat/L

Androstenedione

S

ng/dL

34.92

pmol/L

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)

S

nmol/min/mL

1

U/L

Angiotensin II

S

ng/dL

10

ng/L

Anion gap

S

mEq/L

1

mmol/L

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

S

pg/mL

1

ng/L

Apolipoprotein A1

S

mg/dL

10

mg/L

Apolipoprotein B

S

mg/dL

10

mg/L

Aspartate amino-transferase (AST, SGOT)

S

U/L at 37° C

1

U/L at 37° C

Aspartate amino-transferase (AST, SGOT)

S

U/L at 37° C

0.017

µKat/L

Base Excess

S

mEq/L

1

mmol/L

Bicarbonate

S

mEq/L

1

mmol/L

Bilirubin

S

mg/dL

17.1

µmol/L

Calcitonin

S

pg/mL

1

ng/L

Calcium

S

mg/dL

0.25

mmol/L

Calcium

S

mEq/L

0.5

mmol/L

Calcium, ionized

S

mg/dL

0.25

mmol/L

Carbon dioxide partial pressure pCO2

WB

mm Hg

0.133

kPa

Carbon dioxide total

S

mEq/L

1

mmol/L

Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)

S

ng/mL

1

µg/L

Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)

S

µg/mL

1

mg/L

Carotene

S

µg/dL

0.0186

µmol/L

Catecholamines, fractionated - epinephrine

P

pg/mL

5.458

pmol/L

Catecholamines, fractionated - norepinephrine

P

pg/mL

0.0059

nmol/L

Ceruloplasmin

S

mg/dL

10

mg/L

Chloride

S

mEq/L

1

mmol/L

Chloride

S

mg/dL

1

mmol/L

Cholesterol

S

mg/dL

0.0259

mmol/L

Cholinesterase (pseudocholinesterase)

S

U/L at 37° C

1

U/L at 37° C

Copper

S

µg/dL

0.157

µmol/L

Coproporphyrins

S

µg/dL

15

nmol/L

Cortisol

S

µg/dL

0.028

µmol/L

Cortisol

S

ng/mL

2.76

nmol/L

Creatine

S

mg/dL

76.3

µmol/L

Creatine kinase

S

U/L at 37° C

1

U/L at 37° C

Creatine kinase

S

U/L at 37° C

0.017

µKat/L

Creatinine

S

mg/dL

88.4

µmol/L

Creatinine clearance

S

mL/min/1.73 m^2

0.0096

mL/sec•m^2

cyclic Adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)

S

µg/L

3.04

nmol/L

cyclic Adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)

WB

ng/mL

3.04

nmol/L

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S)

S

µg/mL

2.6

µmol/L

delta-Aminolevulinic acid

S

mg/dL

76.26

µmol/L

Ferritin

S

ng/mL

1

µg/L

Folate

S

ng/mL

2.266

nmol/L

Galactose

WB

mg/dL

0.05551

mmol/L

Gamma glutamyl transferease (GGT)

S

U/L at 37° C

1

U/L at 37° C

Gamma glutamyl transferease (GGT)

S

U/L at 37° C

0.017

µKat/L

Gastrin

S

pg/mL

1

ng/L

Glucose

S

mg/dL

0.0555

mmol/L

Glutathione

WB

mg/dL

0.0325

mmol/L

Growth hormone

S

ng/mL

1

µg/L

Haptoglobin

S

mg/dL

0.01

g/L

HDL-cholesterol

S

mg/dL

0.0259

mmol/L

Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), beta-subunit

S

mU/mL

1

IU/L

Hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase

S

U/mL

1

kU/L

Insulin

P

µIU/mL

6.945

pmol/L

Iron

S

µg/dL

0.179

µmol/L

Iron binding capacity

S

µg/dL

0.179

µmol/L

Iron saturation

S

%

0.01

fraction saturation

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICD), Wolfson-Williams-Ashman

S

units/mL at 25° C

0.0167

U/L at 25° C

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICD)

S

U/L

0.017

µKat/L

Lactate

S

mg/dL

0.111

mmol/L

Lactate dehydrogenase (LD), Wroblewski

S

units/mL at 30° C

0.482

U/L at 30° C

Lactate dehydrogenase (LD)

S

U/L at 37° C

1

U/L at 37° C

LDL-cholesterol

S

mg/dL

0.0259

mmol/L

Lead

S

µg/dL

0.0483

µmol/L

Lead

S

mg/dL

48.26

µmol/L

Leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), Goldbarg-Rutenberg

S

U/mL

0.24

U/L

Leucine aminopeptidase (LAP)

S

U/L

0.017

µKat/L

Lipase, Cherry-Crandal

S

U/mL

278

U/L

Lipase

S

U/L

0.017

µKat/L

Lipids, total

S

mg/dL

0.01

g/L

Luteinizing hormone (LH)

S

mIU/mL

1

IU/L

Magnesium

S

mEq/L

0.5

mmol/L

Magnesium

S

mg/dL

0.411

mmol/L

Malic dehydrogenase

S

U/L

0.017

µKat/L

Methemoglobin

WB

g/dL

10

g/L

Muramidase

S

mg/L

1

mg/L

Myoglobin

S

µg/L

1

µg/L

Osmolality

S

mOsm/kg H2O

1

mOsm/kg H2O

Osteocalcin

S

ng/mL

1

µg/L

Oxygen partial pressure pO2

WB

mm Hg

0.133

kPa

Parathyroid hormone (PTH)

S

pg/mL

1

ng/L

pH

WB

nEq/L

1

nmol/L

Phenylalanine

S

mg/dL

60.54

µmol/L

Phosphate, inorganic phosphorus

S

mg/dL

0.323

mmol/L

Porphobilinogen

S

µg/d

4.42

µmol/d

Potassium

S

mEq/L

1

mmol/L

Progesterone

S

ng/dL

0.0318

nmol/L

Prolactin

S

ng/mL

1

µg/L

Protein, total

S

g/dL

10

g/L

Protoporphyrin

RBCS

mg/dL

0.0178

µmol/L

Pyruvate

WB

mg/dL

113.6

µmol/L

Renin (plasma renin activity, PRA)

S

ng/mL/h

1

µg/L•hr

Reverse T3 (rT3)

S

ng/dL

0.0154

nmol/L

Serotonin

S

ng/mL

0.0057

µmol/L

Sodium

S

mEq/L

1

mmol/L

Testosterone

S

ng/dL

0.0347

nmol/L

Thyroglobulin

S

ng/mL

1

µg/L

Thyroxine binding globulin (TBG)

S

mg/dL

10

mg/L

Thyroxine binding globulin (TBG)

S

µg/dL

10

µg/L

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)

S

µU/mL

1

mIU/L

Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH)

S

pg/mL

1

ng/L

Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH)

S

pg/mL

2.759

pmol/L

Thyroxine (T4) total

S

µg/dL

12.9

nmol/L

Thyroxine, free

S

ng/dL

12.9

pmol/L

Transferrin (TIBC)

S

mg/dL

0.01

g/L

Tri-iodothyronine (T3), free

S

pg/mL

15.4

nmol/L

Tri-iodothyronine (T3), total

S

ng/dL

0.0154

nmol/L

Triglycerides

S

mg/dL

0.0113

mmol/L

Troponin I

S

mg/mL

1

µg/L

Troponin I

S

µg/L

1

µg/L

Troponin T

S

µg/L

1

µg/L

Urea nitrogen

S

mg/dL

0.357

mmol/L urea

Uric acid

S

mg/dL

0.0595

mmol/L

Viscosity

S

centipoise

1

centipoise

Vitamin A1

S

µg/dL

0.0349

µmol/L

Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)

S

pg/mL

0.738

pmol/L

Vitamin B12, unsaturated binding capacity

S

pg/mL

0.738

pmol/L

Vitamin B6

S

ng/mL

5.982

nmol/L

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

S

mg/dL

5.678

µmol/L

Vitamin D (calciferol, 1,25-dihydroxy)

S

pg/mL

2.4

pmol/L

Vitamin D (calciferol, 25-hydroxy)

S

ng/mL

2.496

nmol/L

Vitamin E (tocopherol)

S

ng/mL

23.22

nmol/L

Xylose (from absorption)

S

mg/dL

0.0666

mmol/L

Zinc

S

µg/dL

0.153

µmol/L

  References:

American Society of Clinical Pathology. SI Conversion Guide. adapted from AJCP. 1987; 87:140-151.

Conversion Table for SI Units. Transfusion 1990; 30:79-90.

JAMA Instructions for Authors. 1997; 278: 74-76.

Jordan CD, Flood JG, et al. Normal reference laboratory values. NEJM. 1992; 327: 718-724.

Lehmann HP, Henry JB. Appendix 4: SI Units. pages 1449-1462. IN: Henry JB. Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods, Nineteenth Edition. W.B. Saunders. 1996.

Lundberg GD. SI Unit Implementation - the next step. JAMA. 1988; 260: 73-74.

McQueen MJ. SI Unit Pocket Guide. ASCP Press. Chicago. 1990.

Tietz NW (editor). Clinical Guide to Laboratory Tests, Third Edition. W.B. Saunders Co. 1995.

Wallach J. Interpretation of Laboratory Tests, 6th edition. Little, Brown and Company. 1996. pages 923-936.

Wallach J. Interpretation of Laboratory Tests, 7th edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2000. page 978,

Wilson JD, Foster DW. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology, 8th Edition. W.B. Saunders Co. 1992. (front cover interleaf)

Young DS. Implementation of SI Units for Clinical Laboratory Data. Ann Intern Med. 1987; 106:114-129.

 

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