title: Calculating reference intervals for laboratory measurements.
abstract: Reference intervals are used in laboratory medicine to detect measurements which are extreme, possibly abnormal. Methods of estimating reference intervals and age-specific reference intervals (where the measurement is dependent on a covariate, typically age) are reviewed. The issues of calculating confidence bands, determining appropriate sample sizes and assessing goodness-of-fit are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics and Modelling Science, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. eileen@stams.strath.ac.uk
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Royston
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013677:Medical Laboratory Science / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D018401:Sample Size
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol