Do We Need Pakistan-Specific Reference Ranges in Laboratory Medicine?

Evidence-based laboratory medicine is indispensable for health care practices. Reference values or reference ranges are necessary for the interpretation of clinical laboratory tests and subsequent patient care. Nearly 70% of medical decisions by physicians are solely based on information provided by laboratory test results.[1] As a preliminary investigation into the topic of reference ranges, Gräsbeck and Fellman published a study in 1968 titled “Normal Value and Statistics”.[2] The term “reference values” was used as a result of the realization that the concept of “normal values” was insufficient and even partially inaccurate in later years.