Question

A technician is reading a urine sediment slide and sees red blood cells (RBCs). What is an acceptable number of red blood cells in normal urine sediment?

a. 6 to 7 RBCs per hpf
b. 8 to 10 RBCs per hpf
c. 2 to 3 RBCs per hpf
d. 4 to 5 RBCs per hpf

Answer 1

In normal urine sediment, the acceptable number of red blood cells is less than 5 per high power field, with 2 to 3 RBCs per HPF being the correct answer.The correct answer is option C.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question relates to the acceptable number of red blood cells (RBCs) that may be present in normal urine sediment. Normally, a healthy individual should have very few red blood cells in their urine. An acceptable number of RBCs in the urine sediment is generally less than 5 RBCs per high power field (HPF).

Therefore, the correct answer to the student’s question “What is an acceptable number of red blood cells in normal urine sediment?” is c. 2 to 3 RBCs per HPF. While a count slightly above this may not necessarily indicate a problem, consistently higher numbers can indicate a medical condition requiring further investigation, such as urinary tract infections, kidney stones, or other renal pathologies.