Hematocrit Levels – Low, High, Normal Range

A general assessment of the number of red blood cells present in the bloodstream is provided by hematocrit. The range of the hematocrit tells us how many red blood cells are present in the blood. It provides information on how much room RBCs occupy in a specific amount of blood. Hematocrit readings are always expressed as percentages.

An adult male with a hematocrit of 47%, for instance, has 47 milliliters of red blood cells in a sample of blood with a volume of 100 milliliters. Red Blood Corpuscles (RBCs), plasma, and white blood cells make up the majority of blood.

It is possible to observe the red blood cells and white blood cells floating freely in the bloodstream, as they make their way around the body via the circulatory system. The amount of red blood cells (RBCs) is directly related to a measurement of hematocrit. As a result, a low hematocrit value indicates that the number of red blood cells is low.

Plasma accounts for approximately 55% of the total volume of blood in the human body. Proteins that have been dissolved with glucose make up plasma.

Therefore, a rise or fall in the proportion of red blood cells (RBCs) in relation to the volume of plasma is a sign of a wide variety of underlying health issues. A test for hematocrit is the way to find out all of this information.

Normal Hematocrit Values for Men and Women

A hematocrit value of 40 percent is considered normal for women, while a number of 45 percent is considered normal for men. There is no correlation between the size of the body and the hematocrit in mammals.

Along with the white blood cell count, the concentration of hemoglobin, and the platelet count, the hematocrit measurement is regarded as one of the most important aspects of a complete blood count test.

Hematocrit Blood Test – How is it done?

In most cases, the value of the hematocrit is extracted from a sample of blood with the assistance of a computerized medical apparatus that is also capable of doing a variety of other measures simultaneously.

The vast majority of these instruments do not directly measure the hematocrit value. Instead, it is determined by doing the calculation after taking into consideration the typical volume of red blood cells as well as the amount of hemoglobin.

In addition, the hematocrit value can be calculated manually through the use of a centrifuge as the instrument of choice.

When a sample of blood that is already contained in a tube is centrifuged, the red blood cells have a tendency to cluster together near the base of the tube.

After that, one is able to visually determine what percentage of the entire volume of blood is comprised of RBCs.

Hematocrit Range

Both males and females have different hematocrit measurements than one another.he results of the test will vary, depending on the patient’s gender, because the test is gender specific.

It has been observed that men have a higher hematocrit value than women do.

The hematocrit value also shifts in different ways across the age ranges. During the test, adults and children will display hematocrit readings that are distinct from one another.

The acceptable range for hematocrit is broken down by age and gender, as given below –

Hematocrit Levels in Adults

• The hematocrit percentage in women is typically observed to be somewhere in the range of 37 to 48 percent
• The percentage can range anywhere from 41 to 50 for men, although it’s often somewhere in that range.

It is essential to keep in mind that the hematocrit numbers that arerovided above are subject to a degree of variation depending on the criteria and apparatus that are utilized in the various laboratories that carry out the test.

According to the findings of several research facilities, the normal range for a man’s hematocrit is between 40.7 and 50.3 percent, whereas the normal range for a woman’s hematocrit is between 36.1 and 44.3 percent.

Hematocrit Levels in Children

• A newborn infant that is only a few days old will have a hematocrit reading that falls between 42 and 65 percent. This range is normal for a child’s hematocrit at this age.
• It is generally accepted that a newborn who is two months old should have a normal hematocrit measurement that falls somewhere in the range of 28 to 55 percent.
• A baby who is three months old will have a hematocrit value that falls anywhere in the range of 30 to 36 percent.
• Children ages 6 to 12 years old should have a hematocrit value that falls somewhere in the range of 35 percent to 46 percent.
• A child’s hematocrit readings might range anywhere from 36 percent to 40 percent when they get older than ten years old.
• The hematocrit reading value of a healthy teenage male might be anywhere from 36 percent to 49 percent if he is in the age range of 12 to 18 years old.
• Hematocrit readings are most likely to fall between 36 and 46 percent in a healthy teenage female who is older than 12 years old but less than 18 years old.

It is essential to take into consideration the fact that the hematocrit levels have a propensity to change as one gets older.

However, the maximum value for hematocrit that falls within the normal range is 70 percent.

High Hematocrit Levels – Causes

If high hematocrit values are present for extended periods of time, then this indicates the presence of inherent health issues like –

• Dehydration, which is caused by insufficient fluid levels in the body, can contribute to high hematocrit measurements. The condition inevitably leads to a reduction in the amount of plasma found in the blood, which in turn causes elevated levels of hematocrit to be measured.

When treating dehydration, it is important to drink a lot of water and other fluids.

• Diarrhea, which results in feces that are watery, can also cause fluid loss in the body because it causes dehydration.After that, you could end yourself dehydrated, which would then result in high hematocrit results.

• Burns and other major injuries can cause a significant increase in the amount of blood that is lost from the body. As a consequence, the plasma levels in the blood become depleted, which, in turn, causes the hematocrit readings to rise to levels that are higher than usual.

• An increased RBC count can be the result of a medical disorder known as erythrocytosis. As a consequence of the fact that the former is directly related to the hematocrit level, the latter’s value likewise increases.

• An increased synthesis of red blood cells by the kidneys can be brought on by a decreased quantity of oxygen in the blood that is brought on by lung abnormalities, high altitudes, or excessive smoking. These factors can all contribute to a decreased quantity of oxygen in the blood.As a consequence, the levels of hematocrit will rise as a consequence of this.

In addition, taking anabolic steroids or suffering from a blood condition might cause an increase in hematocrit levels.

Low Hematocrit Levels – Causes

• Anemia, which reduces the quantity of RBCs and consequently the hematocrit values. This can happen when there is not enough red blood cell production.

• A reduction in the consumption of key nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron, and folate can lead to a decrease in the RBC count, which will ultimately result in hematocrit levels that are lower than normal.

• Hemolysis is a condition that leads to the death of red blood cells (RBCs), which in turn results in a decreased hematocrit value since the RBC count has been reduced.

• The use of chemotherapy drugs can also result in a reduction in the patient’s RBC count.

• Renal failure can lead to compromised kidney function, which in turn leads to decreased red blood cell (RBC) production, which in turn leads to decreased hematocrit levels.

Authoritative Clinical References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542276/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31194416/