Translation of laboratory test results
A test result is not a text but a table: parameter, value, unit, reference range. A foreign doctor reads it column by column, and a single shifted column turns a healthy person into a sick one and a sick person into a healthy one. We translate results so that the table stays a table, the units stay untouched, the reference ranges follow the laboratory, and the test names appear as laboratories in the target country write them.
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Table for tableColumn structure and order as in the original
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Units unchangedWe do not convert, so that no value is distorted
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1-2 working daysFor results of up to 5 pages, including a trend table
In short: six rules for translating test results
- Laboratory values and units stay in the translation exactly as the laboratory issued them, with no conversion from one system to another.
- The reference range is carried over from the form, because it reflects the method and equipment of that particular laboratory.
- The test name is written with the abbreviation used in the target country, and for a rare parameter with the full name as well.
- The decimal separator follows the rules of the target language, and every number is checked against the original one by one.
- Marks of deviation from the normal range, such as arrows, asterisks or the letters H and L, stay on the same line in the translation.
- Gene and variant notation in international nomenclature is carried over letter for letter, unchanged.
Why translating test results is not "just copying a table"
A laboratory result has few words, but every word has a number next to it. The errors happen not in the translation itself but in a mismatch between the number and the word.
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The same test under a different name
A Georgian form says "ალატ" and "ასატ", English practice uses ALT and AST, German uses GPT and GOT. The translator must know which abbreviation reads naturally in which country, or the doctor will not find the value in the table.
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The reference range belongs to the laboratory, not to an international standard
The normal range depends on the method, age and sex, and differs between laboratories. In the translation we keep exactly the reference range printed on the form, so that the foreign doctor assesses the value in the right context and not by their own laboratory's norm.
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Decimal point and comma
In Georgian and German the decimal separator is a comma ("5,2"), while in English it is a point ("5.2"), and there the comma separates thousands: "5,200" is five thousand two hundred. A single wrongly carried-over sign changes the result a thousandfold. We write the decimal separator according to the target country's convention and check it separately on every line.
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Qualitative results
"Negative", "weakly positive", "trace" and "not detected" are terms with an established equivalent in every language. A free translation here turns into interpretation, which a translator has no right to make.
Which results we translate in everyday practice
| Test | What we pay particular attention to | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| Full blood count and biochemistry | The country-specific form of abbreviations, units, reference ranges by age and sex | 1-2 pages |
| Hormones and tumour markers | A trend table with dates, the method used, the day of the cycle or the treatment phase | 1-3 pages |
| Immunology and serology | Standard terms for qualitative results, titres, interpretation cut-offs | 1-2 pages |
| Genetic and molecular | Gene and variant names unchanged, nomenclature, the exact text of the conclusion | 2-6 pages |
| Microbiology and antibiogram | Latin names of microorganisms, susceptibility categories, breakpoints | 1-2 pages |
We calculate the price by the number of rows and pages and tell you as soon as we see the results. At the clinic's request, results from several dates are combined into a single trend table, which saves the doctor time and saves you pages.
SI and conventional units: why the number stays untouched
On Georgian forms values are often given in SI units (mmol/L, µmol/L, g/L), while in the USA many of them are written in conventional, mass-based units (mg/dL, g/dL); in some countries, Germany for example, both systems are used. Each substance has its own conversion factor from one to the other, because it depends on molecular mass: one for glucose, another for cholesterol, yet another for creatinine. That is why the translator does not touch the number, but makes sure the doctor reads the unit without error.
| Entry on the Georgian form | English translation | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| გლუკოზა 5,4 მმოლ/ლ (3,9-6,1) | Glucose 5.4 mmol/L (3.9-6.1) | The comma becomes a point in both the result and the range; the unit and limits are those on the form. |
| ჰემოგლობინი 128 გ/ლ | Haemoglobin 128 g/L | An American form gives the same value in g/dL and the number comes out ten times smaller, so the unit must be visible on every line. The spelling (haemoglobin or hemoglobin) follows the recipient's country. |
| ლეიკოციტები 7,2 x10⁹/ლ | WBC 7.2 x10⁹/L | The exponent is written in superscript, so that "10⁹" does not turn into "109" when the file is converted. |
| კრეატინინი 88 მკმოლ/ლ | Creatinine 88 µmol/L | Micro is written with the Greek µ sign to rule out any confusion between milli and micro. |
If the clinic still asks for units in another system, we arrange this with the laboratory or the treating doctor, and the translation shows only the number written on the official result. We calculate the price by rows and pages, and you can see an indicative amount in advance with the translation price calculator.
Genetic and microbiology results: the text that comes with the table
In these tests, alongside the numbers, there are standardised notations and categories that are read the same way all over the world. The translator's job here is not to explain but to carry this standard over unchanged.
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Genetic variants
The gene symbol (for example, BRCA1) and the variant notation in HGVS nomenclature, with the "c." and "p." prefixes, are carried over letter for letter, because changing even one character means a different variant. Zygosity and mode of inheritance are translated with established terms.
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Variant classification
The five-tier scale (pathogenic, likely pathogenic, of uncertain significance, likely benign, benign) is written in the established form in every language. The word "likely" here is part of the category, not the translator's guess.
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Antibiogram
The Latin name of the microorganism and the susceptibility categories S, I and R are unchanged. The laboratory states on the form which standard (EUCAST or CLSI) it uses, and we always keep this reference: in the European system, since 2019 the letter I has meant "susceptible, increased exposure", and the doctor reads the category according to the standard.
Histology and cytology reports are descriptive text and we handle them by different rules: details are on the examination report translation page.
Frequently asked questions about translating test results
Do you convert test units to another system, for example from mmol/L to mg/dL?
No, and this is a rule of principle. Converting units is medical interpretation, not translation: the conversion factors differ from test to test, and a mistake can move a value from normal to abnormal. We leave the units exactly as the laboratory issued them and give the reference range next to them in the same units. The foreign doctor sees both together and decides whether a conversion is needed. If a clinic requires specific units, we ask the laboratory or the doctor for them, not the translator.
In what format should I send the results: from the laboratory portal or on paper?
A PDF downloaded from the laboratory portal is best: the text is clear, the tables are intact and the laboratory's details, QR code and signature are visible. A photo of the paper copy will also do, provided every column and footnote is legible. It matters that the result is on the laboratory's official form and not a handwritten list, because clinics check the source. If the results are from several dates, send them in chronological order: we put the trend into a single table if the clinic asks for it.
Does a translation of test results need notarisation?
For clinics, rarely: laboratory results are working documents read by a doctor, not a lawyer, and a translation certified with the bureau's stamp is entirely sufficient. You need a notary when the results form part of an official matter: an insurance dispute, a forensic examination for court, a visa that requires confirmation of a specific diagnosis, or a health certificate needed for work or study abroad. We establish which case is yours in the very first conversation and will not have you do anything unnecessary.
How many test results should we send the clinic: all of them or only the latest?
A clinic usually needs the results from the last 1-3 months, and a longer series for values that matter over time (tumour markers, hormones, liver and kidney function during treatment). Translating everything wastes money; translating only the latest loses information. If the clinic has not given you a list, send us everything you have: we will see which results relate to the diagnosis and in the assessment tell you separately what is essential and what is desirable, so that you can choose yourself.
On my test result, a deviation from the normal range is marked with an arrow. Does that mark stay in the translation?
Yes. Arrows, asterisks, bold type and the letters H or L are marks placed by the laboratory and are part of the original, so they stay on the same line in the translation. If the laboratory highlighted a deviation in colour, which is lost on a black-and-white copy, we add a note to the translation that the value is highlighted in colour in the original. We do not add marks of our own: if the laboratory has not flagged a value, the translator does not decide whether it is within the normal range. The doctor assesses that by comparing it with the reference range.
Do you translate tests done at a foreign laboratory into Georgian?
Yes, and the same rules apply in this case too: units, reference ranges and marks are unchanged, and the table structure follows the original. A Georgian doctor often needs such results after the patient returns from treatment abroad, to continue monitoring the trend in Georgia. We write the test name in Georgian as Georgian laboratories print it on their forms and keep the original abbreviation in brackets, so that the doctor can easily compare results from the two countries. We note separately if the foreign laboratory uses units that differ from the Georgian ones.
What goes with test results in a clinic package
- CT, MRI and examination report translation Imaging and histology reports that the doctor reads together with the test results.
- Discharge summary translation The treatment history in which these results appear as a trend.
- Follow-up tests after you return New results are translated and sent to the clinic for remote follow-up.
Results straight from the laboratory portal to us
Upload the PDF and tell us which clinic it is going to. We will tell you what is needed, what is not and what it will cost.