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Base Excess
Abbreviation: BE
Panel: Blood Gas Tests · All blood gas tests
Typical adult reference range
| Conventional units | -2 to +2 mEq/L |
| SI units | -2 to +2 mmol/L |
Ranges vary between laboratories and methods — compare your result with the range printed on your own report.
What a high or low result can mean
High base excess: a positive value can be seen in metabolic alkalosis.
Low base excess: a negative value (base deficit) may occur in metabolic acidosis.
These are associations, not a diagnosis: the same result can have several causes, and your clinician interprets it with the rest of your results and history.
Good to know
A calculated value summarizing the metabolic component of acid–base balance.
Related tests — Blood Gas Tests
Please note: Reference ranges vary between laboratories, and between the methods and instruments they use — the range printed on your own report is the one your result should be compared with. A result outside the range is not by itself a diagnosis, and a result inside it does not rule out illness. These pages are an educational summary, not medical advice: always discuss your results with the clinician who ordered them, who can interpret them in the context of your health and history.