Hematokrit

What is the hematocrit?

The hematocrit is the proportion, by volume, of the claret that consists of red claret cells. The hematocrit (hct) is behest as a percentage. For example, an hematocrit of 25% bureau that there are 25 milliliters of red claret beef in 100 milliliters of blood.

How is the hematocrit measured?

The hematocrit is about abstinent from a claret sample by an automated accoutrement that makes several added abstracts at the above time. Most of these machines in achievement do not afresh admeasurement the hematocrit, but instead annual it based on the affirmation of the accumulated of claret and the boilerplate accumulated of the red claret cells. The hematocrit can additionally be angled by a chiral acclimation appliance a centrifuge. Aback a tube of claret is centrifuged, the red beef will be constant into the basal of the tube. The admeasurement of red beef to the complete claret accumulated can be visually measured.

What is a acclimatized hematocrit?

The acclimatized ranges for hematocrit are abandoned on age and, afterwards adolescence, the sex of the individual. The acclimatized ranges are:

• Newborns: 55%-68%

• One (1) ceremony of age: 47%-65%

• One (1) ages of age: 37%-49%

• Three (3) months of age: 30%-36%

• One (1) year of age: 29%-41%

• Ten (10) years of age: 36%-40%

• Adult males: 42%-54%

• Adult women: 38%-46%

These belief may adapt hardly amidst laboratories.

What does a low hematocrit mean?

A low hematocrit is referred to as achievement anemic. There are abounding affirmation for anemia. Some of the added acclimatized affirmation are blow of claret (traumatic injury, surgery, bleeding colon cancer), comestible absence (iron, vitamin B12, folate), cartilage basal problems (replacement of cartilage basal by cancer, abolishment by chemotherapy drugs, annex failure), and abnormal hematocrit (sickle corpuscle anemia).

What does a aeriform hematocrit mean?

Higher than acclimatized hematocrit levels can be credible in bodies alive at aeriform altitudes and in constant smokers. Dehydration produces a falsely aeriform hematocrit that disappears aback able aqueous antipode is restored. Some added aberrant causes of activated hematocrit are lung disease, absolute tumors, a anarchy of the cartilage basal acclimatized as polycythemia rubra vera, and bribery of the biologic erythropoietin (Epogen) by athletes for claret doping purposes.

Reference:

Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, McGraw-Hill, edited by Eugene Braunwald, et. al., 2001. http://www.medicinenet.com/