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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Variation In The HB And Hematocrit Values?

had a cbc done on 9/28/2010 showing rbc 5.37, hb 14, hematocrit 40.5, mcv 75.4, mch 26.1, rdw-cv 14.5 and these numbers have been pretty consistent based upon 3/2/2010 & 5/10/2010 cbc's. Then on 12/21/2010 same test with corresponding values rbc 4.61, hb 11.3, hematocrit 33.5%, mcv 72.7, mch 24.5 and rdw-cv 15.3. Just wondering if could give some insight on what would cause this type of variance?
Fri, 21 Nov 2014
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Internal Medicine Specialist 's  Response
Hello,

there are a lot of critical details missing from your description but I'll try to give you some direction.
A decreased hematocrit with lower than usual mcv and higher rdw usually suggests iron deficiency although this is not 100% certain. Ferritin levels can help estimate the iron stores of your body.
Clinical details can be very helpful as well. Any blood loss can cause a drop in hematocrit. This includes menstrual losses, gastrointestinal bleeding, hematuria etc. Decreased iron absorption is another possible cause. It usually has to do with very low meat and fish consumption.
If you've had an infection, a drop in hematocrit may happen due to increased red blood cells destruction (mostly).
I hope I've helped!
If you'd like a more specific and detailed report, please ask again but mention all the details of your medical history this time!

Kind Regards!
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What Causes Variation In The HB And Hematocrit Values?

Hello, there are a lot of critical details missing from your description but I ll try to give you some direction. A decreased hematocrit with lower than usual mcv and higher rdw usually suggests iron deficiency although this is not 100% certain. Ferritin levels can help estimate the iron stores of your body. Clinical details can be very helpful as well. Any blood loss can cause a drop in hematocrit. This includes menstrual losses, gastrointestinal bleeding, hematuria etc. Decreased iron absorption is another possible cause. It usually has to do with very low meat and fish consumption. If you ve had an infection, a drop in hematocrit may happen due to increased red blood cells destruction (mostly). I hope I ve helped! If you d like a more specific and detailed report, please ask again but mention all the details of your medical history this time! Kind Regards!