Library/Electrolytes/Anion gap/7

Anion gap of 7 mEq/LWhat it means, and what usually happens next

7mEq/L Anion gap
Typical
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An anion gap of 7 mEq/L is in the 4 to 12 mEq/L range most modern analysers use. If your lab prints an older 8 to 16 range, it may flag low values here, which on its own rarely means anything.

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Anion gap7mEq/L
Where it fallsTypical
The usual rangeabout 4 to 12 mEq/L on most modern analysers (8 to 16 on older ones); your lab's own range is the one to use

What usually happens next

Nothing to act on alone; it's read with your sodium, chloride and bicarbonate.

When an anion gap can read wrong

The anion gap is worked out from sodium, chloride and bicarbonate, so any error in those moves it. Low albumin lowers it (by about 2.5 for each 1 g/dL drop), and labs use different ranges depending on their analyser.

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Questions

Is an anion gap of 7 mEq/L normal?

An anion gap of 7 mEq/L is in the 4 to 12 mEq/L range most modern analysers use. If your lab prints an older 8 to 16 range, it may flag low values here, which on its own rarely means anything. The usual range is about 4 to 12 mEq/L on most modern analysers (8 to 16 on older ones); your lab's own range is the one to use.

Is an anion gap of 7 mEq/L bad?

Read it against the range on your report: modern analysers use about 4 to 12 mEq/L, older ones 8 to 16. A high gap with a low bicarbonate matters most.

Worked out by LifeFrom from Kraut and Madias's review and the usual lab ranges, and not yet reviewed by a clinician. For your own understanding: only a lab test, read by your clinician, diagnoses anything.