Lab results - looking for opinions [PLEASE READ 1ST POST]

I could really use some help analyzing 😉

We’re looking at an 80-year-old woman who had a total knee replacement about two years ago.
It was a rough recovery because she dealt with a bacterial infection in the surgical site, so I spent several months managing that until everything finally healed up. Her CRP tends to run slightly elevated, and it's sitting at 10.7 on her most recent test.

The good news is that her last two blood draws were mostly fine, except for some indicators regarding her kidney function: creatinine is 99, with an eGFR of 47. Her doctor suggested she just needs to stay better hydrated. Honestly, her mobility has been pretty poor lately—she’s much less active than before and doesn't really want to leave the house or go for walks since the surgery.

What would you all recommend? Should we look into more specific testing, or should I just focus on encouraging her to get out more, stay hydrated, and keep an eye on her bathroom trips?

Laura Thomas55 said:I could use some help analyzing these results.😉

We're talking about an 80-year-old woman who had a total knee replacement two years ago.
It was a rough recovery; she dealt with a bacterial infection in the wound that took several months of treatment to finally clear up. Her CRP stays slightly elevated—most recently at 10.7.

The latest blood work looks fine across the board, except for her kidney indicators: creatinine 99, eGFR 47. Her doctor suggested she just needs to stay better hydrated. Mobility has also taken a hit; she’s much less active now and refuses to leave the house for walks since the surgery.

What would you recommend? Should we look into further testing, or should we just focus on getting her moving more, keeping her hydrated, and monitoring her bathroom habits?

Hello,

I hesitated on whether to weigh in here. While this is clearly an elderly patient, the estimated glomerular filtration rate—even accounting for age—points toward diminished kidney function. Given that roughly 50% of seniors have an eGFR below 60 ml/min/1.73m², and clinical consensus suggests discussing chronic kidney disease in patients over 65 once the eGFR drops below 45 ml/min/1.73m², this lady is sitting right on that threshold. It’s also vital to check for protein in her urine; if it hasn't been done, determining the albumin-to-creatinine ratio would be a logical next step.

As for how to proceed, there isn't one definitive playbook. Most older adults live with some degree of chronic kidney impairment, yet only a small fraction ever progress to end-stage renal disease.

What can certainly be advised is preventing malnutrition, which is a common pitfall in the elderly, and ensuring she avoids dehydration. It’s also worth reviewing her entire medication list, as many drugs—like ibuprofen or certain antibiotics—can take a toll on kidney function. Encouraging physical activity whenever possible is also key.

Ultimately, the decision regarding further diagnostics or intervention depends on her overall health, her frailty, any comorbidities, and her life expectancy. These calls must be made individually and in direct consultation with her primary physician.

Age:29, M

Before my first trip to the gastroenterologist, my GP suggested I get a full blood panel done just to speed things up.

I went in because of some bloating, occasional heartburn, weird gurgling sounds in my throat, and this frustratingly low weight that won't budge (it took me two months of staying home just to put on 2 lbs).

The bloodwork showed a few things were slightly off.

Relative neutrophil percentage 38.8 % (ref. 44- 72)
Relative lymphocyte percentage 51.4% (ref. 20- 46)

Basophils 0.10 (ref. 0.00- 0.06)
Lymphocytes 3.80 (1.19- 3.35)

I guess there's a chance this could just be linked to an autoimmune issue, since I deal with psoriasis? My gastroenterologist also ordered a Celiac test.

I don't really deal with typical respiratory infections, though I do have quite a bit of acne along with the psoriasis.

placidrider48 said:Age: 29, M

Before my first appointment with a gastroenterologist, my doctor suggested running a full blood panel to speed up the diagnostic process.

I went in because of bloating, occasional heartburn, strange sounds in my throat, and some stubborn weight loss (it took two months of staying home just to put on 2 lbs).

The blood work showed a few deviations from the norm.

Relative neutrophil percentage 38.8% (ref. 44- 72)
Relative lymphocyte percentage 51.4% (ref. 20- 46)

Basophils 0.10 (ref. 0.00- 0.06)
Lymphocytes 3.80 (1.19- 3.35)

Could this simply be a side effect of an autoimmune condition? (I have psoriasis.) My gastroenterologist also ordered a Celiac test.

Hello,

I wouldn't call these significant deviations. Absolute values matter more than relative ones. A lymphocyte count of 3.80 and neutrophils at 2.86x10*9/L—based on my math, assuming a total WBC of about 7.39x10*9/L—don't strike me as worrying. Since autoimmune diseases involve the body producing antibodies against itself, and those antibodies come from plasma cells derived from B lymphocytes, lymphocytosis can certainly occur.

Hey there,
could someone break down this spinal MRI for me in plain English? I'm trying to wrap my head around what these results actually mean and what kind of scenarios we might be looking at here. I’d really appreciate any insight you guys can offer.
HERE ARE THE RESULTS:>

Maria Fisher46 said:Hello there,

I actually hesitated on whether to weigh in here. Even though we’re clearly looking at an older patient, her estimated glomerular filtration rate—even accounting for age—suggests some declining kidney function. Since it’s estimated that about 50% of seniors have an eGFR below 60 ml/min/1.73m², some experts suggest that for patients over 65, we shouldn't really start talking about chronic kidney disease until that number drops below 45 ml/min/1.73m². This lady seems to be right on that borderline. It's also vital to check for protein in the urine; if it hasn't been done yet, getting an albumin-to-creatinine ratio would be a smart next step.

There isn't a single "correct" way to handle this moving forward. While many seniors deal with some degree of chronic kidney impairment, only a small fraction actually progress to end-stage renal disease.

What I can definitely recommend is making sure she stays well-nourished, which is a common struggle for older adults, and ensuring she stays hydrated. It's also worth reviewing all her medications, as several drugs (like ibuprofen or certain antibiotics) can take a toll on kidney function. Encouraging as much physical activity as she can manage is also key.

Ultimately, deciding whether further testing or interventions are necessary depends on her overall health, how fragile she might be, any co-existing conditions, and her general life expectancy. These calls should always be made individually and in close consultation with her primary care physician.

Thanks for the input. 😉 👍 I know age catches up with everyone, but I still can't help worrying. Ever since she had that knee surgery, she's been a bit down mentally too—the knee just hasn't felt right since it popped out, and she's still dealing with some lingering effects from the anesthesia. She eats and drinks well, and I make sure she's getting enough nutrition, 😁 but keeping her physically active is a bit more of a struggle. I'll plan to repeat her blood work in a few months just to monitor where things stand...

Kenneth Allen11 said:Hey everyone,
can someone give me a layman's breakdown of this spinal MRI? I'm trying to wrap my head around what the possible scenarios are here, and I'd really appreciate some help.
HERE IS THE REPORT>

Anyone out there...?

Kenneth Allen11 said:Wait, what happened to Itko...?

Honestly, you'd probably get a better answer if you just moved this over to the spine discussion thread...
http://www.forum.com/showthread.php?t=369393

The kid’s bloodwork came back showing one atypical cell alongside the usual one, plus there was a single metamyelocyte in the mix.
Everything else on the CBC looks pretty standard—sed rate, LDH, ferritin, you name it, they’re all still sitting right where we want them.
What do you guys think?
(I’m leaving out the rest since you guys already know the backstory... but if I need to dig into the details, just let me know)

Emily Ortiz27 said:Along with the usual one atypical cell, we found one metamyelocyte in the kid.
The rest of the CBC looks standard—sed rate, LDH, ferritin are all fine.
Thoughts?
(I won't list everything else since you already know... if needed, I can

Hello,

I always prefer to see the full panel before weighing in. Assuming everything else is steady, seeing a metamyelocyte in peripheral blood isn't standard. Think of them as immature neutrophils; they typically pop up during an infection or inflammation. You might also see them during pregnancy or when the bone marrow is being pushed hard—like recovering from myelosuppression or correcting anemia. Of course, a significant increase in myelocytes can signal malignancy, which I realize is understandably heavy on your mind given your child's diagnosis.

The child's hematologist definitely needs to be looped in on this. My guess is they’ll want a repeat blood smear to track the progression of these immature cells. They will likely want to examine the child to check for signs of infection or inflammation, ask if there's been an acute illness, check the CRP levels, or look for a fever. They'll also want to know about any recent symptoms—cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, vomiting, diarrhea, or urinary issues—that might explain this.

Naturally, if the child is showing any actual symptoms or distress, an urgent evaluation is necessary to rule out an infection that requires immediate treatment.

Maria Fisher46 said:Hey there,

Look, I’m the type of person who needs to see the full set of lab results before I even think about opening my mouth to comment on anything. I’m assuming everything else looks fine, but let's talk about this finding of metamyelocytes in the peripheral blood, because that isn't exactly a standard result you want to see. Basically, metamyelocytes are just immature forms of neutrophils, and more often than not, they pop up when there's an infection or some kind of inflammation going on. They can also show up during pregnancy or in situations where the bone marrow is working overtime—think things like recovering from bone marrow suppression or fixing up anemia. Of course, if you start seeing a high number of myelocytes, that could point toward something much more serious like a malignancy, and honestly, given what you're dealing with regarding your kid's diagnosis, I totally get why that would hit a nerve and make you extra sensitive to it.

Look, you absolutely have to get these blood test results in front of a pediatric hematologist right away. I mean, seriously, why wait? They’re probably going to demand a repeat blood smear just to track how those immature cells are behaving over time, right? Plus, they’ll definitely want to get their hands on the kid to check for any obvious signs of inflammation or an underlying infection. It’s pretty much a given that they'll start grilling you—was the kid feeling acutely ill? What did the CRP levels look like? Any fever? They’re going to dig through every single detail of the medical history to see if there’s anything that could explain these numbers, like a recent bout of coughing, a sore throat, nasal congestion, or even stuff like vomiting, diarrhea, or any issues with urination. You know how these doctors work; they won't stop until they've connected every single dot.

Look, if your kid is actually showing symptoms or just seems off, you really shouldn't be sitting around waiting to see if things improve on their own. You need to get them to an urgent care clinic or a doctor immediately to figure out if there’s an infection brewing that needs treatment. Why risk letting it get worse when you could just deal with it now?

Sorry I’m running a little late on this, but honestly, those blood test results totally threw me for a loop and had me feeling pretty rattled.

The kid looks like he’s perfectly healthy, honestly.
So, this person’s been dealing with chronic lymphadenopathy for several years now—we're talking all over the place. It started with the neck, then moved to the abdomen and the groin, and lately, it's even hit the armpits. Just constant, spreading swelling everywhere.
So, about eighteen months back, I had this biopsy done on a lymph node conglomerate, and honestly, it didn't show anything super dramatic at first glance. The official takeaway was just some mixed reactive tissue—though I can probably pull up the full report tomorrow if I need to—but they did note an elevated lymphoproliferative index. Now, doctors have been keeping a close eye on me because there’s been this lingering suspicion of ALPS, even though my immunologist basically says there's zero proof for that. On top of everything else, I've got a primary immunodeficiency involving a deficiency in IgA, but luckily, that hasn't really been causing any major issues for me yet.
So, looking back over the last six months, he hasn't dealt with a single fever or any other obvious signs of an infection. He’s been heading to preschool like clockwork, totally fine, just being his usual energetic self—honestly, he seems perfectly healthy. The only thing I've noticed lately is that he’s been acting a little more tired than usual, even though he’s still got that same high-strung, spunky temperament he's always had.
We won't even get the peripheral smear results until sometime next week, assuming everything goes smoothly. That’s just how the turnaround times work at our local labs around here, you know? Plus, with the holiday coming up, things are bound to slow down even more. It’s just your classic, run-of-the-mill lab delay.
So, I checked the latest labs and everything looks pretty solid—both the red and white cell counts came back normal. Even the tumor markers and liver function tests are sitting right within the standard range. The only little hiccup is that the eosinophils are slightly elevated, but honestly, given that the little guy deals with atopic dermatitis, isn't that kind of expected? It’s just part of his thing.

Emily Ortiz27 said:Sorry for the delay; those results were a bit unsettling.

The kid seems perfectly healthy.
For several years now, he’s had chronic lymphadenopathy across all neck regions, abdominal, inguinal, and recently axillary.
Eighteen months ago, a biopsy of a lymph node conglomerate showed nothing dramatic—the conclusion was mixed reactive tissue (I can transcribe the report tomorrow), though there was an elevated lymphoproliferative index. We're monitoring him due to suspected ALPS, which an immunologist actually hasn't confirmed, alongside a primary immunodeficiency involving IgA deficiency, which doesn't cause any major issues.

I recall these details. They don't change my previous assessment.

In the last six months, he hasn't had a fever or any other signs of infection. He attended preschool regularly right up until COVID, stays active, and appears fine, though he's been slightly more tired lately, despite his usual high energy and temperament.
We won't have the peripheral smear results until next week—that's just how our labs work, especially with the holiday approaching. It's a standard lab turnaround.
The rest of the CBC, including red and white cell counts, tumor markers, and liver function tests, are all within normal limits, aside from slightly elevated eosinophils (the little guy has atopic dermatitis).

Understood. What we have here is an automated CBC with a differential; the manual cytological peripheral blood smear is still pending. As I mentioned in a prior post, a microscopic review is much more reliable, particularly when the automated readings show deviations. My remaining stance remains unchanged.

Thanks.
So, we finally managed to get our hands on the manual smear results, which show:

• blood test results
• blood test results
• blood test results
• blood test results
• blood test results
• blood test results
• blood test results
• blood test results

No sign of any metamyelocytes or atypical lymphocytes either.

Now, the automated machine readout gave us totally different numbers: eosinophils at 12.5%, basophils at 0, unsegmented at 2, segmented at 41, lymphocytes at 38, and monocytes at 6.
The results are all over the place compared to each other, and honestly, seeing such inconsistent samples is stressing me out big time. I mean, how are we even supposed to know which one is actually accurate? I'm sitting here biting my nails until next week when we finally see the hematologist for an opinion, and we're going to run the smear again then too.

Could someone give me a quick rundown of what a limfoplazma stanica (or plasma cell) actually is? Or maybe suggest some other terms I could search for to find more info, because Dr. Google is being absolutely useless here. 😬

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone could help me make sense of these lab results.
For the past two months, my white blood cell count has been consistently high. This is my third time getting a CBC done—on the first test, my CRP was at 4.0, but in the subsequent ones, including this most recent one, it’s actually stayed within the normal range.
As for symptoms, I've been feeling a dull ache under my left rib cage, some strange sensations around my chest, and a sort of burning sensation in my neck. My temperature has hit 37.0°C (about 98.6°F) at most, though it doesn't happen every day.
I would really appreciate any insight you might have.

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Emily Ortiz27 said:Thanks.
We managed to get the smear results back. They show:

• Eosinophilic granulocytes 6
• basophil 1
• Segmented granulocytes 32
• Lymphocytes 51
• Monocytes 9
• plasma cell 1
• blood test results
• platelets in smear +

No signs of metamyelocytes or atypical lymphocytes

The automated count showed eosinophils at 12.5%, zero basophils, 2 unsegmented, 41 segmented, 38 lymphocytes, and 6 monocytes.
The discrepancy between the two is significant. It’s unsettling—how can we actually trust either set of numbers? I'm biting my nails waiting for the hematologist's appointment next week to get an expert opinion and a repeat smear.

Could someone clarify what a plasma cell (or a proplasma cell) is? Any other terms I should search for? Dr. Google isn't offering much clarity here. 😬

Dear user,

As I mentioned previously, automated hematology counters struggle with precision when identifying and classifying every specific blood cell type, particularly regarding abnormal or immature cells. The gold standard remains this: any warning flags regarding abnormal cell populations must be verified via microscopic examination. That said, even a manual slide review isn't infallible, given that the analysis typically focuses on a sample of 100 leukocytes. Both methods serve a purpose in the diagnostic process.

Plasma cells are cells derived from B lymphocytes; their job is producing the antibodies that protect us from infection. Typically, you find plasma cells in the bone marrow, not circulating in the peripheral blood.

Maria Fisher46 said:Listen, lady,

like I’ve mentioned before, those automated hematology counters just can't accurately identify or classify every single type of blood cell, especially when it comes to spotting abnormal or immature cells. That's why the golden rule is that any warnings about abnormal cell populations absolutely have to be verified under a microscope. Then again, even a microscopic analysis isn't perfect since they usually only look at 100 leukocytes. So, really, both methods have their place in getting a diagnosis.

Plasma cells are basically what you get from B lymphocytes, and they produce the antibodies that protect us from infections. Normally, you’d find plasma cells in the bone marrow, not circulating in the peripheral blood!

Thanks.
I guess we're just being patient while waiting for an interpretation and maybe a retest.

Seeing these cells where they don't belong really caught us off guard; we're so used to routine checkups that come back totally normal.

It’s so incredibly hard to actually get an appointment these days, so we're just sitting here waiting for our scheduled time and praying our local hospital doesn't get hit by another COVID surge and push everything back indefinitely. Our pediatrician insisted we email the results over to see if we could get an earlier intake, but nothing has come of it.

Do you have any idea what kind of follow-up tests might be requested, or just how bad this looks? I keep trying to convince myself that a tiny fraction could just be something spontaneous and harmless?

We have a relatively recent ultrasound from February and these blood tests, but we haven't had any other testing done yet—though I don't even have a clue what we might be facing.
My husband is spiraling a bit about the possibility of hospitalization, especially since we aren't seeing a hematologist in our own city.

Also, if there's anything specific you think we should look into that we could pay for out-of-pocket privately, outside the hospital system, please let me know?
We already scheduled a repeat smear for Monday at a private lab in a major US city, since we'll be in that area anyway for the hematoncologist appointment.

Hello. I am writing on behalf of my mother. A few days ago, she was diagnosed with an 11mm adrenal adenoma. Her doctor ordered tests for aldosterone and renin levels. We have received the results, but we cannot make sense of them, and her follow-up appointment isn't until next month. We are currently in France; the language barrier is a bit of a struggle, though we are managing. According to the report:
Aldosterone: 717.0 pmol/l
258.2 pg/ml

Renin: 10.3 mU/l

Does anyone here understand these numbers? Is this considered high or low compared to standard ranges? Any insight would be appreciated. Best regards.

Hey everyone! So, I’m 14 weeks pregnant right now and just got my urine test results back... it shows 2 leukocytes, a ton of amorphous salts, and quite a few bacteria. Everything else seems totally fine, though. Does anyone have any idea what might be going on?

Could someone please explain what it means when non-specific cylinders show up in a urine test? It doesn't specify which ones, just says "positive." Thanks!

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Can someone weigh in on these lab results? What would erythrocyte morphology combined with a high platelet count suggest?
Could this indicate an iron deficiency?

PSA and CRP levels are within the normal range.
The patient has diabetes, high cholesterol, fatty liver, a kidney cyst, and gallstones.

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