Question

Maggie's cuts are successfully treated, and the physician elects not to transfuse any blood products. A week later she visits her primary physician to have her sutures removed, and her hematocrit has improved. Calculate this HCT: the total volume is 5 ml, and the plasma volume is 3.4 ml. Is it normal?

A. 32%. This value is normal for a woman.
B. 74%. This value is high for a woman.
C. 46%. This value is normal for a woman.
D. 32%. This value is low for a woman.

Answer 1

Maggie's hematocrit calculation reveals a value of 32%, which is below the normal range for females (37 to 47), indicating her hematocrit is low for a woman.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate Maggie's hematocrit (HCT), we need to determine the volume percentage of erythrocytes in a sample of blood. The total volume is 5 ml, and the plasma (the liquid portion of blood) volume is 3.4 ml. The volume of packed erythrocytes, or the volume of blood cells after plasma has been removed, is therefore 5 ml - 3.4 ml = 1.6 ml.

The hematocrit is calculated by dividing the erythrocyte volume by the total blood volume and multiplying by 100 to get a percentage: (1.6 ml / 5 ml) × 100 = 32%. Normal hematocrit values for females range from 37 to 47. Therefore, Maggie's hematocrit value of 32% is considered low for a woman.