A red blood cell count is a blood test that your doctor uses to find out how many red blood cells (RBCs) you have. It’s also known as an erythrocyte count.

The test is important because RBCs contain hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to your body’s tissues. The number of RBCs you have can affect how much oxygen your tissues receive. Your tissues need oxygen to function.

Also Known As:  RBC Count, Erythrocyte Count, Red Count, Erythrocytes

Test Panel: Hemoglobin, Red Blood Cells (RBC), HCT, MCV, MCH, MCHC, Platelets Count, White Blood Cells (WBC), DLC, ESR

Sample Required:

• The blood sample is taken in EDTA. 
• It is stable for 24 hours at 23 °C and 48 hours at 4°C

Test Requirements:

• EDTA well mixed blood
• Micropipette
• Neubauer chamber
• Tips
• Hayem’s or Gowers Solution
• Microscope

Test Procedure:

• RBCs counting solution is Hayem’s or Gowers isotonic saline.
• Make a dilution of 1:200 with a diluting solution. Fill the red bulb pipette up to 0.5 marks.
• Draw the solution to the mark 101 of  RBC pipette. 
• Mix the blood thoroughly in the pipette.
  • Discard first few drops (4 to 5 0  and then fill the Neubauer chamber.
  • Make sure that chamber is free of air bubbles.
  • Distribution of the cells should be uniform over the ruled area.
• Allow for 2 minutes to settle the cells.
• Now coun RBCs in the Neubauer chamber.
• Use 40 X to count the RBCs.
  • For RBCs use the center square which has 25 smaller squares.
• Count the corner 4 squares and one central square.
  • Count only the RBCs which falls on the left and top border of these squares.
• Repeat the count twice and divide by 2 to get the average.

Formula for RBCs count is:

                      Multiply factor = 10 x 200 / 0.2  = 10,000

                      Multiply RBCs count with 10,000 = RBCs million/cmm.

Normal value:

Complete Blood Count Test Panel:

1. Red blood cells.
2. White blood cells.
3. Platelet Count
4. Hemoglobin
5. Hematocrit (HCT)
6. RBC indices.
   1. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV).
   2. Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH).
   3. Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC)
   4. Red blood cell distribution width (RDW).
7. White cell differential count (DLC) includes.
   1. Neutrophil count.
   2. Lymphocytes.
   3. Monocytes.
   4. Eosinophils.
   5. Basophils.
8. Peripheral blood smear study.

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