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Red blood cell indices are blood tests that provide information about the hemoglobin content and size of red blood cells. Abnormal values indicate the presence of anemia and which type of anemia it is.
Red blood cells have an average volume of 80–100 femtoliters, but individual cell volumes vary even in healthy blood. [1] Certain disorders, however, cause a significantly increased variation in cell size. Higher RDW values indicate greater variation in size. Normal reference range of RDW-CV in human red blood cells is 11.5–15.4%.
Blood loss, suppressed production of RBCs or hemolysis represent most cases of normocytic anemia. In blood loss, morphologic findings are generally unremarkable, except after 12 to 24 hrs where polychromasia appears. For reduced production of RBCs, like with low erythropoietin, the RBC morphology is unremarkable. [4]
The mean corpuscular volume, or mean cell volume (MCV), is a measure of the average volume of a red blood corpuscle (or red blood cell). The measure is obtained by multiplying a volume of blood by the proportion of blood that is cellular (the hematocrit), and dividing that product by the number of erythrocytes (red
Microcytic anaemia; Microcytosis is the presence of red cells that are smaller than normal. Normal adult red cell has a diameter of 7.2 µm. Microcytes are common seen in with hypochromia in iron-deficiency anaemia, thalassaemia trait, congenital sideroblastic anaemia and sometimes in anaemia of chronic diseases.
Hematocrit can vary from the determining factors of the number of red blood cells. These factors can be from the age and sex of the subject. [clarification needed] [16] The normal hematocrit level is around 40% for adult women and about 45% for adult men. In newborns, it is approximately 55% and drops to around 35% by 2 months of age.
Note the increased central pallor of the red blood cells. Hypochromic anemia is a generic term for any type of anemia in which the red blood cells are paler than normal. (Hypo- refers to less, and chromic means colour.) A normal red blood cell has a biconcave disk shape and will have an area of pallor in its center when viewed microscopically.
Red blood cells are much smaller than most other human cells. RBCs are formed in the red bone marrow from hematopoietic stem cells in a process known as erythropoiesis. In adults, about 2.4 million RBCs are produced each second. The normal RBCs count is 4.5 to 5 millions per cu.mm. RBCs have a lifespan of approximately 100-120 days.