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RBC count

• Overview
• Risks
• Results

Alternative Names:

Erythrocyte count; Red blood cell count

Normal Values:

Normal results vary, but in general the range is as follows:

• Male: 4.7 to 6.1 million cells per microliter (cells/mcL)
• Female: 4.2 to 5.4 million cells/mcL

What abnormal results mean:

Damaged RBCs do not live as long as normal. Injury inside the blood vessels, such as that caused by artificial heart valves or peripheral blood vessel disease, can damage RBCs.

Higher-than-normal numbers of RBCs may be due to:

• Congenital heart disease
• Cor pulmonale
• Dehydration (such as from severe diarrhea)
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Polycythemia vera

Lower-than-normal numbers of RBCs may be due to:

• Anemia (various types)
• Bone marrow failure (for example, from radiation, toxin, or tumor)
• Erythropoietin deficiency (secondary to kidney disease )
• Hemolysis (RBC destruction) from transfusion reaction
• Hemorrhage (bleeding)
• Leukemia
• Malnutrition
• Multiple myeloma
• Nutritional deficiencies of:
  • Iron
  • Copper
  • Folate
  • Vitamin B-12
  • Vitamin B-6
• Overhydration

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:

• Alport syndrome
• Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia
• Hemolytic anemia due to G6PD deficiency
• Hereditary anemias, such as thalassemia
• Idiopathic autoimmune hemolytic anemia
• Immune hemolytic anemia
• Macroglobulinemia of Waldenstrom
• Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)
• Primary myelofibrosis
• Renal cell carcinoma

References:

McPherson RA and Pincus MR. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 21st ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2007:461-2.

Hoffman R, Benz Jr. EJ, Shattil SJ, et al., eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingston; 2005:2733.

• Review Date: 3/8/2007
• Reviewed By: Mark Levin, MD, Hematologist and Oncologist, Newark, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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