In medical terminology, dL stands for deciliter. It's a unit of volume used to measure the concentration of substances in blood and other bodily fluids. A deciliter is one-tenth of a liter (1 dL = 0.1 L). Many blood test results, such as glucose levels or cholesterol levels, are reported in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).
Understanding Deciliters in Medical Tests
Medical professionals use dL because it provides a convenient scale for reporting the concentration of substances in relatively small blood samples. Using milligrams per deciliter allows for manageable numerical values when reporting test results. For example:
- A blood glucose level might be reported as 90 mg/dL.
- Cholesterol levels are often expressed in mg/dL for total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL.
The reference explains that a deciliter (dL) is 1/10 of a liter, and provides comparisons to other units of measurement like milligrams (mg), grams, ounces, and quarts to illustrate scale. This context is important for understanding how the small volume of a deciliter relates to the amount of a substance being measured within it.
