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reference intervals and clinical decision limits

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 7:17 am
by jimmylegs
Distinguishing reference intervals and clinical decision limits - A review by the IFCC Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision Limits (2018)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30047297

"Reference Intervals (RIs) and clinical decision limits (CDLs) are a vital part of the information supplied by laboratories to support the interpretation of numerical clinical pathology results. RIs describe the typical distribution of results seen in a healthy reference population while CDLs are associated with a significantly higher risk of adverse clinical outcomes or are diagnostic for the presence of a specific disease."

let's recall that these reference intervals describe the typical distribution of results seen in a *nominally* healthy reference population, which tends to include both sick and healthy people.

rather than emphasizing *this* is the point at which things are significantly worse, i like to use these the other way around. where's the interval with *lowest* risk of adverse outcomes, and how do i make sure my levels are okay according to that positive CDL. i'm interested in whether my levels (probably moreso in combination/collectively than individually, for that matter) can be considered diagnostic for the presence of health.