The blood bank is granting us access to test some of their blood supply. A hematocrit test measures the amount of red blood cells (RBCs) in the blood. Since RBCs supply oxygen to the body, i

Scenario: The blood bank is granting us access to test some of their blood supply. A hematocrit test measures the amount of red blood cells (RBCs) in the blood. Since RBCs supply oxygen to the body, if there are too few or too many, it may indicate a disease.
To calculate the Hematocrit % for a blood sample, a lab technician will use a capillary tube and centrifuge. The blood sample will be placed into a capillary tube and then will be spun in the centrifuge for five minutes. After this time, the RBCs will have separated to the bottom of the tube. There will be a smaller, yellowish layer of white blood cells followed by plasma. A reader card is used to determine the percentage of RBCs.
Cramnlo
Age
Child
Adolescent
Adult women
Adult men
Hematocrit Ranges
30% – 44%
36% – 40%
38% – 46%
42% – 54%
-1.00
= 90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
New Sample
Patient Information
Age: 65
Sex: Female
For this patient, the volume of RBC’s is 44, and the Total volume is 100.
Therefore, the hematocrit value is 44%.
If you look closely, you can see the beige line indicating WBCs and then the rest of the sample indicates plasma.