Understanding your lab results
A results report is a set of measurements compared against a population range — not a verdict. Knowing how those ranges are built makes the flags far less alarming and your follow-up conversation far more productive.
What a reference range actually is
Most reference ranges are set so that roughly 95% of a healthy reference population falls inside them. By construction, about one in twenty healthy people sits slightly outside a given range. Run a 20-analyte panel and a stray flag is statistically expected.
Ranges also vary by lab, by method, and sometimes by age and sex. Comparing a value from Quest against a value from a specialty lab without checking each report's own range is a common mistake.
Flags, deltas, and trends
- H / L flags mean outside this lab's range, not abnormal for you.
- A trend across three draws tells you far more than a single value.
- Recent illness, intense exercise, dehydration, and fasting state all move common analytes.
- Hemolysis or a difficult draw can artificially raise potassium and some enzymes; a redraw sometimes resolves it.
Critical results
Certain values — severe electrolyte derangements, critically low hemoglobin, dangerous glucose levels — are designated critical by the performing lab. Those are phoned to the ordering provider immediately and tracked to acknowledgement, not left to sit in a portal. If you are contacted about a critical result, treat it as time-sensitive.
Questions worth asking your provider
- Is this value meaningful for me, or expected variation?
- Does it change anything we are doing right now?
- Should we repeat it, and if so, when and under what conditions?
- Is there a prep or timing issue that could have influenced it?
- What would make you want to see me sooner?
What TeQuaidas can and cannot tell you
We collect and route specimens; we do not interpret results or give medical advice. We can confirm which lab is running your panel, expected turnaround, and whether the specimen was received in acceptable condition. Interpretation belongs to your ordering provider.
Frequently asked
How long does it take to get lab results?
Routine panels typically return in 24 to 72 hours. Specialty and genomic assays generally take 7 to 14 days depending on the assay.
Does an out-of-range value mean something is wrong?
Not necessarily. Reference ranges are built so about 5% of healthy people fall outside them, and recent illness, exercise, hydration, and fasting state all shift common values. Your provider interprets the result in context.
Who sees my results first?
Your ordering provider receives results first and releases them to you. Direct-access tests purchased through TeQuaidas post to your patient portal.
Next step
A certified phlebotomist comes to your home or office anywhere in metro Atlanta, usually within 24–48 hours.
Book a follow-up draw