Normal Values:

• RBC (varies with altitude):
  • Male: 4.7 to 6.1 million cells/mcL
  • Female: 4.2 to 5.4 million cells/mcL
• WBC: 4,500 to 10,000 cells/mcL
• Hematocrit (varies with altitude):
  • Male: 40.7 to 50.3 %
  • Female: 36.1 to 44.3 %
• Hemoglobin (varies with altitude):
  • Male: 13.8 to 17.2 gm/dL
  • Female: 12.1 to 15.1 gm/dL
• MCV: 80 to 95 femtoliter
• MCH: 27 to 31 pg/cell
• MCHC: 32 to 36 gm/dL

(cells/mcL = cells per microliter; gm/dL = grams per deciliter; pg/cell = picograms per cell)

Note: Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.

What abnormal results mean:

High numbers of RBCs or a high hematocrit may be due to:

• Dehydration (such as from severe diarrhea)
• Kidney disease with high erythropoietin production
• Low oxygen level in the blood:
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Cor pulmonale
  • Pulmonary fibrosis
• Polycythemia vera
• Smoking

Low numbers of RBCs or low hematocrit indicates anemia, which can result from:

• Autoimmune/collagen-vascular diseases such as lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis
• Blood loss (hemorrhage)
• Bone marrow failure (for example, from radiation, infection, or tumor)
• Erythropoietin deficiency (secondary to kidney disease)
• Hemolysis (red blood cell destruction)
• Leukemia
• Malnutrition (nutritional deficiencies of iron, folate, vitamin B12, or vitamin B6)
• Multiple myeloma

A lower-than-normal white blood cell count is called leukopenia. A decreased WBC may be due to:

• Autoimmune/collagen-vascular diseases (such as lupus erythematosus)
• Bone marrow failure (for example, due to infection, tumor, radiation, or fibrosis)
• Disease of the liver or spleen

High numbers of WBCs is called leukocytosis. It can result from:

• Infectious diseases
• Inflammatory disease (such as rheumatoid arthritis or allergy)
• Leukemia
• Severe emotional or physical stress
• Tissue damage (such as burns)

Low hemoglobin values may indicate:

• Anemia (various types)
• Blood loss