Diagnostic Tests: Total Calcium Over the past several months, an adult patient has been treated for tetany (severe muscle spasms). This condition is associated with an average total calcium level below 6 mg/dl (Reference: Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests by F. Fischbach). Recently, the patient’s total calcium tests gave the following readings (in mg/dl).

9.3 8.8 10.1 8.9 9.4 9.8 10.0 9.9 11.2 12.1

(a) Use a calculator to verify that x 5 9.95 and s < 1.02.

(b) Find a 99.9% confidence interval for the population mean of total calcium in this patient’s blood.

(c) Interpretation Based on your results in part (b), does it seem that this patient still has a calcium deficiency? Explain.

AppendixLO1