ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It is often impractical for each laboratory to establish its own paediatric reference intervals. This is particularly true for specimen types collected using invasive procedures, for example, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). METHODS: Published CSF reference intervals for white cell count, and concentrations of total protein and glucose were reviewed by stakeholders in a paediatric hospital. Consensus reference intervals for the three CSF parameters were then subjected to verification using guidelines from the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute and residual CSF specimens. RESULTS: Consensus paediatric reference intervals adapted from published studies with minor modifications were locally verified as follows. White cell count (x106 cells/L): 0-20 (<1 month); 0-10 (1-2 months); 0-5 (>2 months). Total protein (g/L): 0.3-1.2 (<1 month); 0.2-0.6 (1-3 months); 0.1-0.4 (>3 months). Glucose (mmol/L): 2.0-5.6 (<6 months); 2.4-4.3 (6 months or older).
