Red Blood Cell Count Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Red Blood Cell Count?
Red Blood Cell Count is a test used to measure the number of red blood cells in a sample of your blood. It is also known as an RBC count. This test helps diagnose and monitor many different conditions, such as anemia, polycythemia, or leukemia. It can also help detect infection or other serious medical conditions. The RBC count provides valuable information about your overall health and can help guide treatment decisions.The RBC count measures the number of red blood cells present in a given volume of your blood sample. Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout your body, so having an accurate measurement is important for assessing overall health and detecting any potential issues. In general, a normal range for adults is 4 million to 6 million red blood cells per milliliter (mm3) of whole blood. An abnormally low level may indicate anemia or a recent loss of red blood cells due to bleeding; while an abnormally high level may indicate dehydration or polycythemia (a condition in which the body produces too many red blood cells).Your doctor may order this test if you are experiencing signs and symptoms that could be related to one of the above conditions, such as fatigue, shortness of breath or pale skin tone. The results can provide important insight into whether further testing or treatment is needed to address the underlying cause behind these symptoms. Your doctor may also order this test periodically if you have been diagnosed with any condition that affects your red cell production or distribution within the body, such as sickle cell disease or thalassemia (a type of inherited anemia). To collect a sample for this test, your healthcare provider will draw some blood from one arm using either a needle and syringe method or finger prick technique; depending on what type of analysis they need performed on the sample. After drawing it up into collection tubes containing preservatives and anticoagulants (to prevent clumping), they will send it off to be processed at their lab’s certified facility where technicians will use specialized equipment and techniques to identify each individual cell type present in the sample before counting them up manually under microscopes with calibrated slides in order to determine how many there are per mm3of whole-blood volume collected from you during sampling procedure then report back those findings directly back to your doctor who ordered it initially so they can decide upon best course(s) of action based off those exact results.