Every blood test, swab and biopsy result you have ever received started in a pathology laboratory. This handbook explains the tests most commonly requested in Australian practice, what they measure, why your doctor orders them, and the reference ranges that put your results in context.
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Tricorian LifeA pathologist is a specialist doctor who studies disease through laboratory science. When your GP orders a test, a sample is collected, processed in a laboratory, and interpreted by a pathologist who issues the report your doctor uses to make decisions.
Your GP or specialist orders the test with a specific clinical question in mind.
Blood, urine, swab or tissue is collected at a collection centre or in hospital.
The laboratory runs the requested tests using standardised, quality-controlled methods.
A pathologist reviews the findings and writes a report, flagging anything important.
Results return to your doctor, who interprets them in the context of you as a person.
A reference range is the interval of results seen in healthy people. It is built by testing a large healthy population and taking the central 95 percent of results. That has real consequences for how you should read your report.
By definition, about 1 in 20 healthy people has a result outside the range on any given test. A single borderline result is usually rechecked, not acted on.
Each laboratory validates its own ranges for its own equipment and population. That is why the same test can show slightly different ranges on reports from different labs. Always read the range printed on your own report.
Many ranges differ by age and sex. Haemoglobin, for example, has different ranges for men and women, and children have their own entirely.
Your own history is the most powerful reference range of all. A value moving over time often tells your doctor more than a single snapshot.
The ranges in this handbook are indicative adult ranges for educational purposes, drawn from common Australian laboratory practice. Your own laboratory's printed reference range, on your own report, is always the one that applies. For the definitive Australian standard, see the RCPA Manual, Pathology Tests A-Z.
Each card covers what the test measures, why it is ordered, and the indicative adult range. Where a test links to a disease guide or glossary term, it is cross-linked so the whole education library connects.
Counts your red cells, white cells and platelets. Screens for anaemia, infection, inflammation and clotting problems, and is one of the most ordered tests in medicine.
A marker of inflammation in the body. Rises quickly with infection and inflammatory conditions, and falls as you recover, which makes it excellent for monitoring treatment.
Assesses kidney function and your salt and water balance. Ordered routinely, before imaging with contrast, and to monitor many medications.
A panel assessing the liver's enzymes, protein production and bilirubin handling. Ordered to investigate symptoms, monitor medications and screen for liver disease.
Measures cholesterol and triglycerides to estimate cardiovascular risk. The target values depend on your overall risk, so your doctor interprets them in context.
The pituitary's signal to the thyroid. The single best screening test for overactive or underactive thyroid, and how thyroid medication is monitored.
Estimates your average blood glucose over the previous two to three months. Used to diagnose diabetes and to monitor how well glucose is controlled.
Assesses iron stores and how your body transports iron. Ordered for fatigue, suspected anaemia or iron overload.
A swab from a wound is examined for organisms, cultured to identify the exact bacteria, and tested against antibiotics to find which will work. Central to managing surgical site infections.
Tissue from a biopsy or surgery is examined under the microscope. The report describes the cells, confirms diagnoses including cancer, and grades how aggressive a tumour appears.
For the complete, laboratory-authoritative reference for any test, use the RCPA Manual, Pathology Tests A-Z, the standard reference used by Australian clinicians.
Because reference ranges are statistical, not judgemental. Roughly 1 in 20 healthy people falls outside on any given test, and everyday factors like recent exercise, fasting state and hydration can nudge values. Your doctor weighs the number against how you actually are, which is why results are always read in context.
Most routine blood results return within 24 to 48 hours. Cultures grow over several days because bacteria need time to multiply. Histopathology takes several days to weeks because tissue must be processed, stained and examined. Your requesting doctor or the collection centre can tell you the expected timing for your specific test.
Some tests, such as fasting glucose and certain lipid profiles, require fasting. Many modern tests do not. Always follow the specific instructions given when your test was booked, and ask if you are unsure.
The RCPA Manual is the standard Australian reference for pathology testing. Its Pathology Tests A-Z lists tests with their purpose, method and reference intervals as used by Australian laboratories, and is freely available at rcpa.edu.au.
If you need a recommendation or guidance in this space, whether understanding a report, deciding between tests, or knowing what to ask your doctor next, reach out and our team will help. We respond within 24 hours.
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