Hematocrit
Background
- Percentage of blood volume occupied by red blood cells
- Roughly 3x the hemoglobin value
Normal Values
- Male: 38.3-48.6%
- Female: 35.5-44.9%
Interpretation
- Moves in parallel with hemoglobin; either can be used to assess for anemia
- Falsely elevated by dehydration; falsely low with fluid overload
- Same limitations as hemoglobin in acute hemorrhage (lags behind blood loss)