The key difference between hematocrit and RBC count is that hematocrit is a test that measures the volume percentage of red blood cells in the blood, while RBC count is a test that measures the number of red blood cells in the blood.
Hematocrit and RBC count are red blood cell measurements that are used to diagnose nutritional deficiencies, acute illnesses, and chronic medical conditions. The values of hematocrit and RBC count are always reported as part of a complete blood count (CBC) test. Moreover, they can be too high or low due to various conditions, including bleeding, iron deficiency, and polycythemia vera.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Hematocrit
3. What is RBC Count
4. Similarities – Hematocrit and RBC Count
5. Hematocrit vs RBC Count in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Hematocrit vs RBC Count
What is Hematocrit?
Hematocrit is a test that measures the volume percentage of red blood cells in the blood. Hematocrit is also known as the red blood cell volume percentage. It is measured as a part of the complete blood count along with hemoglobin concentration, white blood cell count, and platelet count. This measurement depends on the number and size of the red blood cells. The hematocrit value is normally 40.7-50.3% for males and 36.1-44.3% for females. The main function of red blood cells is to transfer oxygen from the lungs to body tissue. Therefore, a blood sample’s hematocrit can be used as a point of reference for the blood’s ability to deliver oxygen.
Normally, hematocrit levels that are too high and low may indicate a blood disorder, dehydration, or other complicated condition. An abnormally low hematocrit may suggest anemia conditions due to a decrease in the total number of red blood cells. On the other hand, an abnormally high hematocrit is known as polycythemia. Polycythemia is a type of blood cancer. It causes the bone marrow to make many red blood cells. Therefore, both high and low values of hematocrit help to identify potentially life-threatening disorders.
What is RBC Count?
An RBC count (red blood cell count) measures the number of red blood cells (erythrocytes) in the blood. RBC count is always part of a complete blood count. The RBC measurement is used to diagnose red blood cell disorders. A low red blood cell count can be an indicator of anemia, leukemia, malnutrition, multiple myeloma, kidney failure, internal or external bleeding, pregnancy, thyroid disorders, and medications (chemotherapy drugs), while a high red blood cell count can be an indicator of heart disease, dehydration, polycythemia vera, primary erythrocytosis, secondary erythrocytosis, scarring of lungs due to smoking, lung disease, liver at a higher altitude, kidney cancer, and blood doping.
If people have symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, pale skin, rapid heartbeat, headache, dizziness, or vision problems, they probably have a problem with red blood cells. Furthermore, a normal RBC count for men would be 4 to 5.9 × 1012/L, and for women would be 3.8 to 5.2 × 1012/L.
What are the Similarities Between Hematocrit and RBC Count?
- Hematocrit and RBC count are both red blood cell measurements used to diagnose nutritional deficiencies and acute and chronic medical conditions.
- Both tests are two main parts of the regular complete blood count (CBC).
- They should be performed when people experience symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, pale skin, rapid heartbeat, headache, dizziness, or vision problems.
- Both tests may be associated with issues like excessive bleeding, fainting or feeling light-headedness, multiple punctures to locate veins, hematoma, infection, etc.
- They should be performed in clinical laboratories by skilled technicians.
- They are normally inexpensive tests.
What is the Difference Between Hematocrit and RBC Count?
Hematocrit is a test that measures the volume percentage of red blood cells in the blood, while RBC count is a test that measures the amount of red blood cells in the blood. Thus, this is the key difference between hematocrit and RBC count. Furthermore, the hematocrit value is normally 40.7 – 50.3 % for males and 36.1 – 44.3 % for females, while the RBC count value is normally 4 to 5.9 × 1012/L for males and 3.8 to 5.2 × 1012/L for females.
The following table summarizes the difference between hematocrit and RBC count.
Summary – Hematocrit vs RBC Count
Hematocrit and RBC count are both red cell measurements that are used to diagnose multiple disorders in clinical laboratories. They are two main parts of the regular complete blood count (CBC). Hematocrit is a test that measures the volume percentage of red blood cells in the blood, while RBC count is a test that measures the amount of red blood cells in the blood. So, this summarizes the difference between hematocrit and RBC count.
Reference:
1. “Hematocrit Test.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 14 Dec. 2021.
2. “Red Blood Cell Count.”NHS Choices, NHS.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Complete Blood Count” By NIH Image Gallery (CC BY-NC 2.0) via Flickr