Reference Intervals A User's Guide

From The Critics

Reviewer: Valerie L. Ng, PhD MD(Alameda County Medical Center/Highland Hospital)
Description: This small paperback book contains everything you could ever want to know about reference ranges. It also comes with a CD-ROM containing the NHANES III dataset, an SAS program for computing reference intervals, and reference intervals based on the NHANES III dataset.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide a resource for defining, determining, calculating and interpreting reference intervals. These are unbelievably important objectives for a clinical laboratory. The authors have succeeded admirably in achieving their stated goals.
Audience: This book would appeal to anyone interested in reference ranges — the entire clinical laboratory community (CLSs, supervisors, specialists, pathologists, residents, fellows), researchers (clinical trials or studies), and anyone else curious about reference intervals.
Features: Each of the 15 chapters is clearly and concisely written. The subject matter is surprisingly (for statistics, no less) accessible to the average reader. This book covers everything you could ever want to know about reference intervals. How often would a clinical laboratory be interested in this topic? This issue arises at least weekly in my laboratory, so I know this will be a heavily used reference. Of note, this book acknowledges a considerable overlap with a widely used and internationally authoritative publication (C28-A2, CLSI, formerly known as NCCLS). There are unique features of this book, not the least of which is the accompanying CD-ROM containing the NHANES III dataset, computational programs, and reference intervals determined from the NHANES III dataset. There are two very minor annoying things about this book. The first is that the print is sloping — either the print wasn't set up straight or the binding is off or both. Looks like a photocopy you get when the binding is too thick to lay the original material down flat. The second is that the plastic pocket in the back cover containing the CD-ROM was split open when I received the book. The disc could have easily fallen out; not something I would have wanted given the important information it contained. Neither of these minor annoyances in any way detracts from the excellence of the information in the book.
Assessment: This is the book to get if you want more information than that contained in C28-A2 (Clinical and Laboratory Standards, Institute, CLSI - formerly known as NCCLS). This is undoubtedly a definitive guide on reference intervals.