What does a lab result of 0.95mm/L indicate?

Understanding a Lab Value of 0.95 mm/L

This lab value of 0.95 mm/L is incomplete and cannot be interpreted without knowing which specific test was performed. The unit "mm/L" is non-standard in clinical laboratory medicine and does not correspond to commonly used measurement units for any routine diagnostic test.

Why This Value Cannot Be Interpreted

• Laboratory results require three essential components for interpretation: the analyte being measured, the numerical value, and the appropriate unit of measurement 1
• The unit "mm/L" (millimeters per liter) is not a recognized standard unit in clinical chemistry, hematology, or coagulation testing 2
• Common laboratory units include mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter), mmol/L (millimoles per liter), ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter), or mm/h (millimeters per hour for ESR), but "mm/L" does not appear in standard laboratory reference ranges 2

Possible Interpretations Based on Context

If This Represents D-dimer (Should Be μg/mL or ng/mL)

• If this value was meant to be 0.95 μg/mL (or 950 ng/mL) for D-dimer, this would represent a significantly elevated level approximately 1.9 times the upper limit of normal (>0.5 μg/mL) 1
• A D-dimer of 0.95 μg/mL requires further diagnostic evaluation for venous thromboembolism, acute aortic dissection, sepsis, or malignancy depending on clinical presentation 1
• For suspected pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis with low-to-intermediate clinical probability, imaging studies (CT pulmonary angiography or compression ultrasonography) should be performed 1

If This Represents Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (Should Be mm/h)

• If the unit was incorrectly written and this represents 0.95 mm/h (ESR), this would be an extremely low value, well below normal ranges 2
• Normal ESR values typically range from 0-20 mm/h in men and 0-30 mm/h in women, so 0.95 mm/h would be within normal limits but unusually low 2

If This Represents a Biomarker Like BNP or NT-proBNP (Should Be pg/mL or ng/L)

• Natriuretic peptides are measured in pg/mL or ng/L, not mm/L 2
• BNP levels <100 ng/L have high sensitivity (0.95) for ruling out heart failure, while levels 100-500 ng/L suggest intermediate probability 2
• NT-proBNP levels ≤300 ng/L have sensitivity of 0.99 and specificity of 0.43 for ruling out heart failure 2

Critical Next Steps

Contact the laboratory immediately to clarify the correct test name and appropriate units of measurement. Without this information, any clinical decision based on this value would be inappropriate and potentially dangerous 1.

• Request a corrected laboratory report with the proper analyte name, value, units, and reference range 2
• Verify whether the decimal point is correctly placed (0.95 versus 9.5 or 95) 1
• Confirm the specific assay method used, as different methods may have different reference ranges and reporting units 1
• Do not make clinical decisions based on incomplete or unclear laboratory data 2