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Clinical application of biological variation data to facilitate interpretation of canine and feline laboratory results
Author(s) -
Campora C.,
Freeman K. P.,
Baral R.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of small animal practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1748-5827
pISSN - 0022-4510
DOI - 10.1111/jsap.12781
Subject(s) - variation (astronomy) , medicine , context (archaeology) , interpretation (philosophy) , set (abstract data type) , clinical practice , statistics , computer science , biology , mathematics , physical therapy , paleontology , physics , astrophysics , programming language
Interpretation of laboratory results is based on comparison of the patient's own results against established decision thresholds or reference intervals in the context of the clinical presentation and history. Blood measurand analysis has pre‐analytical, analytical and physiological sources of variation, which may complicate interpretation of results. Biological variation describes the physiological random fluctuation of blood measurands around a homeostatic set point, which varies within and between individuals. This article reviews the practical applications of biological variation in the everyday clinical setting. Examples are offered to highlight how biological variation can be used to: (1) assess the usefulness of subject‐based reference intervals, (2) determine measurand homeostatic set points, (3) interpret single or serial results for diagnosis of disease and (4) evaluate changes in serial results during monitoring.