Overview

Hematocrit is the amount of red blood cells in your blood. Red blood cells are
vital to your health. Imagine them as the subway system of your blood. They
transport oxygen and nutrients to various locations in your body. Your body
relies on the correct proportion of red blood cells for you to stay healthy.

Your doctor may order a hematocrit, or Hct, test if they think you have too
few or too many red blood cells.

Why Would You Get a Hematocrit

Test?

A hematocrit test can help your doctor diagnose you with a particular
condition or it can help determine how well your body is responding to a
certain treatment. The test can be ordered for a variety of reasons, but it’s
most often used to test for:

 anemia
 leukemia
 dehydration
 dietary deficiencies
If your doctor orders a complete blood count (CBC) test, the hematocrit test
is included. Other tests in a CBC are a hemoglobin and reticulocyte count.
Your doctor will look at your overall blood test results to gain an
understanding of your red blood cell count.
How Is the Hematocrit Test Performed?

Blood Sample
A medical provider will need a small sample of blood to test your hematocrit.
This blood can be drawn from a finger prick or taken from a vein in your
arm.

If the hematocrit test is part of a CBC, a lab technician will draw blood from
a vein, typically from the inside of your elbow or from the back of your hand.
The technician will clean the surface of your skin with an antiseptic and place
an elastic band, or tourniquet, around your upper arm to help the vein swell
with blood.

They’ll then insert a needle in the vein and collect a blood sample in one or
more vials. The technician will remove the elastic band and cover the area
with a bandage to stop the bleeding. A blood test can be slightly
uncomfortable. When the needle punctures your skin, you might feel a prick
or pinching sensation. Some people also feel faint or lightheaded when they
see blood. You may experience minor bruising, but this will clear up within a
few days. The test will take only a few minutes. You can resume everyday
activities after testing. Your sample will be sent to a lab for analysis.

Evaluation
In the laboratory, your hematocrit is evaluated using a centrifuge. A
centrifuge is a machine that spins at a high rate to cause the contents in your
blood to separate. A lab specialist will add a special anticoagulant to keep
your blood from clotting.
 When the test tube is taken out of the centrifuge, it will have settled into three
parts:

 red blood cells

 anticoagulant
 plasma or fluid in your blood
Each will settle at different parts of the tube, with the red blood cells moving
to the bottom of the tube. The red blood cells are then compared to a guide
that tells what proportion of your blood they make up.

How Are the Results of a Hematocrit

Test Interpreted?

Typical Ranges
While the laboratory that tests the blood sample may have its own ranges,
generally accepted ranges for hematocrit depend on your gender and
age. Typical ranges are as follows:
 adult men: 38.8 to 50 percent
 adult women: 34.9 to 44.5 percent
Children ages 15 and under have a separate set of ranges as their hematocrit

level changes rapidly with age. The specific lab that analyzes the results will
determine the normal hematocrit range for a child of a certain age.

Low or High Levels

If your hematocrit levels are too high or too low, it can indicate various
problems.
 Low hematocrit levels can indicate:

 bone marrow diseases

 chronic inflammatory disease
 deficiencies in nutrients such as iron, folate, or vitamin B-12
 internal bleeding
 hemolytic anemia
 kidney failure
 leukemia
 lymphoma
 sickle cell anemia
High hematocrit levels can indicate:

 congenital heart disease

 dehydration kidney tumor
 lung diseases
 polycythemia vera
Before getting the test, let your doctor know if you've recently had a blood
transfusion or are pregnant. Pregnancy can decrease your blood urea nitrogen
(BUN) levels due to increased fluid in your body. A recent blood transfusion
can also affect your results. If you live at a high altitude, your hematocrit
levels tend to be higher due to reduced amounts of oxygen in the air.

Your doctor will likely compare the results of your hematocrit test to the
other parts of the CBC test and your overall symptoms before making a
diagnosis.

What Are the Risks of a Hematocrit

Test?
A hematocrit test is not associated with any major side effects or risks. You
may have some bleeding or throbbing at the site where the blood is drawn.
Let your doctor know if you experience any swelling or bleeding that doesn’t
stop within a few minutes of pressure being applied to the puncture site.