COMPONENT NORMAL FINDINGS (ADULT) POSSIBLE CAUSES OF ABNORMAL FINDINDS

INCREASED DECREASED
Blood loss
RED BLOOD CELL (RBC) Men: 4.6–6.0 Dehydration Anemias
COUNT The number of million/mm3 Polycythemia vera Overhydration
RBCs per cubic millimeter Women: 4.0–5.0 High altitude Leukemias
(mm3). million/mm3 Cardiovascular disease Chronic renal failure Pregnancy

HEMOGLOBIN (HGB) Polycythemia

Composed of a pigment Dehydration
(heme), which contains Chronic obstructive Blood loss
iron, and a protein Men: 13.5–18 g/dL pulmonary disease Anemias
(globin). Women: 12–15 g/dL Heart failure Kidney diseases Cancer
HEMATOCRIT (HCT) The
hematocrit or packed cell
volume (Hct, PCV, or crit) is a
fast way to determine the
percentage of RBCs in the
plasma. The Hct is reported as a
percentage because it is the Dehydration Acute blood loss Pregnancy
concentration of RBCs in the Men: 40–54% (0.40-0.54) Burns Dietary deficiencies
blood. Women: 36–46%(0.36-0.46) Hypovolemia Anemias
RBC INDICES
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) Microcytic iron deficiency
The mean or average size of the Men: 80–98 μm3 Chronic liver disease anemia
individual RBC. Women: 78–102 μm3 Pernicious anemia Lead poisoning
Mean corpuscular
hemoglobin (MCH)
Amount of Hgb present in Macrocytic
one cell. 25–35 anemias Radiation
Mean corpuscular
hemoglobin concentration
(MCHC) Microcytic,
The proportion of each cell hypochromic
occupied by Hgb. 31–37% Rarely seen anemia
WHITE BLOOD CELL
(WBC) COUNT Acute infections Viral infections
Count of the total number Tissue necrosis (e.g., Hematopoietic
of WBCs in a cubic myocardial infarction) diseases
millimeter of blood. 4,500–11,000/mm3 Collagen diseases Rheumatoid arthritis

DIFFERENTIAL COUNT
The proportion of each of the five types
of WBCs in a sample of 100 WBCs.

Viral diseases
Leukemias
Neutrophils 50–70% Acute infections Aplastic and iron
Viral infection Cancers
Chronic infections Leukemia
Lymphocytic Multiple sclerosis
Lymphocytes 25–35% leukemia Renal failure
Viral diseases
Parasitic diseases
Collagen diseases Lymphocytic leukemia
Monocytes 4–6% Cancer Aplastic anemia
Allergic reactions
Phlebitis
Thrombophlebitis Stress (burns, shock)
Eosinophils 1–3% Parasitic infestations Adrenocortical hyperfunction
Hypersensitivity reaction
Basophils 0.4–1.0% Leukemia Inflammatory process Stress Pregnancy
Idiopathic (unknown
cause)
thrombocytopenic
PLATELET COUNT Platelets Infections purpura
are basic elements in the Polycythemia Cancer Systemic lupus
blood that promote 150,000– vera Acute blood erythematosus (SLE)
coagulation. 400,000/mm3 loss Splenectomy Some types of anemias

pH cO2 HCO3

low acidosis low acidosis metabolic acidosis

high alka high- alka metabolic alkalosis
respiratory
high -alkalosis low alkalosis
respiratory
low high acidosis