What is a hematocrit test?

The

Hematocrit test measure the share of blood volume consisting of red blood cells. This is traditionally done by centrifugation. Doctors commonly order it as part of complete blood (CBC).

Centrifugation is performed in thin capillary tubes. Blood is divided into two layers. A layer of red blood cells on the bottom is easy to detect and is easy to measure both layers to determine the percentage of red blood cells. Modern cell analyzers check a number of blood factors at the same time and indirectly obtain hematocrit from the number and size of red blood cells. The result of 50% suggests that red blood cells make up half of the blood. Testing hematocrit is often used for screening for anemia, lack of red blood cells, or to monitor the treatment of an existing anemic condition. If there is an insufficient number of red -tailed cells, the blood will not transport enough oxygen through the body and the person will often feel tired.

Low -hematocrit blood test may also indicate bleeding that can be distinguished from chronic blood loss by examining the size of red blood cells and the size of the red cell population. Other reasons for low test results may include red blood cell destruction, bone marrow failure, leukemia, vitamin B12 deficiency and folic acid, some cancer and pregnancy.

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hematocrit test is one of the factors used in deciding whether to provide blood transfusion. If the value is below 21%, a transfusion is sent. This test is also valuable to estimate the number of transfusions needed. For each unit of red blood cells provided to adults, hematocrit should increase by 3-4%.

Hematocrit test results can also be a problemmtic. If there are too many red blood cells, blood may not easily flow through small capillaries. There is a disease called Polycythemia vera in which a person has an above average number of red blood cells in their boneENI. This may be due to the lung function, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The common reason for high levels is dehydration. Repetition of the test after re -hydration sometimes provides a normal level. Other reasons for high hematocrites of dehydration include burns and diarrhea.

athletes receive hematocrit tests to see if they have taken erythropoetin as a medicine to improve performance. Erythropoetin is a hormone produced by the kidneys that stimulate bone marrow to produce red blood cells. By having more red blood cells, athletes can transport more oxygen in the blood and be better able to compete. To check that medicines to increase performance can be used, long-term haemato athletes are compared with a general, absolute maximum level.