Red blood cell indices

Red blood cell indices are blood tests that provide information about the hemoglobin content and size of red blood cells. Abnormal values indicate the presence of anemia and which type of anemia it is.^[1]

Mean corpuscular volume

Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) is the average volume of a red blood cell and is calculated by dividing the hematocrit (Hct) by the red blood cell count.

• $MCV = \frac{Hct}{RBC}$ x 10
• Normal range: 80-100 fL

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) is the average amount of hemoglobin (Hb) per red blood cell and is calculated by dividing the hemoglobin by the red blood cell count.

• $MCH = \frac{Hb}{RBC}$ x 10
• Normal range: 27-31 pg/cell

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Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) is the average concentration of hemoglobin per unit volume of red blood cells and is calculated by dividing the hemoglobin by the hematocrit.

• $MCHC = \frac{Hb}{Hct}$ x 100
• Normal range: 32-36 g/dL

Worked example

Measure	Units	Conventional units	Conversion
Hct	40%
Hb	100 grams/liter	10 grams/deciliter	(deci- is 10^−1)
RBC	5E+12 cells/liter	5E+6 cells/μL	(micro is 10^−6)
MCV = Hct / RBC	8E-14 liters/cell	80 femtoliters/cell	(femto- is 10^−15)
MCH = Hb / RBC	2E-11 grams/cell	20 picograms/cell	(pico- is 10^−12)
MCHC = MCH / MCV	250 grams/liter	25 grams/deciliter	(deci is 10^−1)

References

1. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: RBC indices