What it means
Part of the complete blood count (CBC), along with hemoglobinHEE-muh-gloh-binThe iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen, and the blood test that measures it.hem/o bloodglobin proteinFull entry and hematocrit. It tells how many oxygen-carrying red blood cellred blud selA blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues; also called an erythrocyte.Full entry are in the blood. A low count goes with anemiauh-NEE-mee-uhA lower than normal number of red blood cells or amount of hemoglobin in the blood.a- without, lacking-emia blood conditionFull entry , from blood loss, low iron or vitamin B12, kidney disease or bone marrow problems. A high count can come from dehydration, living at high altitude, smoking, long-term low oxygen or a bone marrow disorder.
For the nurse
Watch the trend after bleeding, surgery or chemotherapy. A client with a low count may tire easily and feel dizzy when standing, so plan rest and help with walking.
At a glance
| Normal range | Male 4.7–6.1 million/mcL [4.7–6.1 × 10¹²/L]; female 4.2–5.4 million/mcL [4.2–5.4 × 10¹²/L]; each lab sets its own range. |
|---|---|
| Also written | RBC count, red cell count, erythrocyte count |
Related terms
hemoglobin
The iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen, and the blood test that measures it.
anemia
A lower than normal number of red blood cells or amount of hemoglobin in the blood.
red blood cell
A blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues; also called an erythrocyte.
reticulocyte count
A blood test that measures reticulocytes, young red blood cells newly released from the bone marrow.