RBC's Flashcards
Erythron
All erythroid cells including mature in the blood and immature in the blood marrow
sHct
Spun hematocrit or PCV. Percentage of blood volume occupied by erythrocytes
Hgb
Blood hemoglobin concentration. RBC are lysed and a reagent is added that binds to the released hemoglobin and the amount of color is used to calculate the concentration
RBC concentration
Measures the number of RBC within a certain volume of blood. Blood gets diluted and will then count the number within a defined volume to find concentrations
MCV
Mean cell volume. Tells us the average volume but not the distribution of sizes. Measured
MCHC
Mean cell Hgb concentration per RBC. Calculated
High MCV
Macrocytic
Normal MCV
Normocytic
Low MCV
Microcytic
RDW
Measures the degree of variation in RBC. Detects anisocytosis (variability in RBC size)
Low MCHC
Hypochromic
Normal MCHC
Normochromic
High MCHC
Hyperchromic. This should not happen. Analyzer assumes that the Hgb is all intracellular but if for some reason there is Hgb outside of the cell can give abnormal high MCHC
Causes for increased MCHC
-Hemolysis
-Administration of oxyglobin
-Lipemia (interfering substances)
MCH
Average amount of Hgb (not concentration) per RBC. Don’t generally used to classify anemia. Uses Hgb concentration and RBC concentrations instead of hematocrit. Calculated
cHct
Calculated Hematocrit. Same as spun but it is calculated (MCV x RBC count)/10. Should be within 3% of the sHct
Normal RBC shape
Round, bi-concave shape with central pallor (if really small cell might not see). Birds and camelids have more epsilonic shape
Polychromasia
Young anucleated RBC that are released early usually larger and more blue/purple than normal RBC. May help determine if regenerative or nonregenerative anemia (except in horses, they don’t release polychromatophilic cells during anemia)
Rubricytosis
Increase in nucleated RBC. Can be from regenerative anemia (appropriate) or non regenerative anemia or without anemia (not appropriate)
Spherocyte
Normal volume but looks smaller on the slide. They have lost an amount of membrane often hyperchromasia. Often sign of IMHA
Poikilocytosis
Variation in shape, significance depends on type of
Echinocyte (crenation)
Often regularly spaced projections. Often an artifact of cell dehydration, but can be envenomation and other diseases
Acanthocytes
Irregularly spaced projections. From altered lipid metabolism can be from liver disease, or hemangiosarcoma
Shistocytes
Fragments of RBC, gets clipped off by a fibrin strand. See from microangiopathic diseases (DIC, hemangiosarcoma, glomerulonephritis, myelofibrosis)
Keratocytes
Looks like a blister in the cell, there can still be a membrane or it can break. Not diagnostic of anything because seen in many disorders
Codocyte (targe cell)
Excess membrane relative to Hgb and get a central focus of Hgb surrounded by ring of pallor. Not diagnostic of anything, seen frequently
Heinz bodies
Indicate oxidative damage, large membrane bound aggregate of denatured hemoglobin
Eccentrocytes
Fused unstained crescent shaped region of membrane and shift of hemoglobin to opposite side. Hallmark of severe oxidative damage to the membrane
Pyknocytes
Not spherocyte, loss of fused membrane portion of eccentrocyte. Will have raggedy edges
Basophilic stippling
Ribosomal RNA not degraded. Looks like purple speckles. Sign of regenerative anemia (lead poisoning)
Howell-Jolly bodies
Nuclear remnant will see a purple dot in the cell. May see in low numbers in health but can be sign of regenerative anemia
Rouleaux
Like a stack of coins see a grouping of RBC that are attracted to each other not attached. may be a sign of inflammation (except horses it is normal) They lack the ability to repel each other
Testing for Rouleaux
Add saline and they should separate
Agglutination
Clump of cells that are attached with antibodies and is used to diagnose IMHA. (IgG is a looser clump than IgM)
Testing for agglutination
If you add saline they will not disperse
