The CBC is the most commonly ordered test in medicine. What are the components of the CBC?
Components of the CBC:
- RBC = # of RBCs per liter
- MCV = mean cell volume
- MCH = avg. amount of Hb in an individual cell
- Decreased in hypochromic anemias
- Total mass of Hb / # RBCs in volume of blood
- MCHC = avg. concentration of Hb in a cell
- Increased in HS and Hb SS
- RDW = reflection of anisocytosis
- Ddx: IDA, reticulocytosis, blood transfusion etc
- HCT = measures the volume of red blood cells compared to the total blood volume (red blood cells and plasma)
