What it means
It shows how fast the bone marrow is making red blood cells. The count goes up when the marrow is working hard to replace lost cells, as after bleeding, when red cells are being destroyed, or after iron or vitamin B12 treatment begins. It is low when the marrow is not making enough cells, as in untreated nutritional anemias, marrow failure or after chemotherapy.
For the nurse
A rising count a week or so after starting iron or B12 is an early sign that treatment is working.
At a glance
| Normal range | About 0.5–2% of red blood cells [0.005–0.02] in adults; each lab sets its own range. |
|---|---|
| Also written | retic 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 count
A blood test that counts the red blood cells in a set amount of blood.