Dictionary

Labs and diagnostics

Lab values with their normal and critical ranges, and the tests nurses prepare clients for.

vancomycin troughA blood test of the lowest level of the antibiotic vancomycin, drawn just before the next dose.

venous bloodBlood in the veins, returning to the heart after it has given up oxygen to the tissues.

viral loadThe amount of a virus in a person's blood, usually measured in copies per milliliter.

vitamin B12 levelA blood test that measures vitamin B12 (cobalamin), needed to make red blood cells and keep nerves healthy.

VLDLVery low-density lipoprotein: a particle made by the liver that carries fats, mostly triglycerides, in the blood.