Question

Average volume of red blood cells (RBCs). This is measured by most automated hematology analyzers and is used to characterize the RBCs in anemic patients. It also may be calculated by dividing the packed cell volume by RBC count obtained through manual methods.

A) Mean Cell Hemoglobin
B) Mean Corpuscular Volume
C) Mean Cell Hemoglobin Concentration
D) Mean Platelet Volume

Answer 1

The answer to the student's question about the average volume of red blood cells is the Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), a critical parameter in the morphological approach of diagnosing anemia and characterizing RBCs.

Step-by-step explanation:

The measurement of the average volume of red blood cells (RBCs) is known as the Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV). This parameter is clinically significant as it helps characterize the RBCs in patients with anemia and may be calculated by dividing the hematocrit or packed cell volume (PCV) by the RBC count. The hematocrit measures the volume percentage of erythrocytes in a sample of centrifuged blood. The MCV value is useful in the morphological approach of diagnosing anemia, where RBC size is examined. Normally sized cells are called normocytic, smaller-than-normal are called microcytic, and larger-than-normal cells are called macrocytic. The MCV is a critical component of a complete blood count (CBC) and plays a key role in distinguishing between different types of anemia.