Mean corpuscular hemoglobin
Appearance
The mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), or "mean cell hemoglobin" (MCH), is the average mass of hemoglobin per red blood cell in a sample of blood. It is reported as part of a standard complete blood count. MCH value is diminished in hypochromic anemias.[1]
It is calculated by dividing the total mass of hemoglobin by the number of red blood cells in a volume of blood.
MCH=(Hgb*10)/RBC [2]
A normal value in humans is 27 to 31 picograms/cell.[1] Conversion to SI-units: 1 pg of hemoglobin = 0.06207 femtomol.[3] Normal value converted to SI-units: 1.68 - 1.92 fmol/cell.
See also
Worked example
Measure | Units | Conventional units | Conversion |
---|---|---|---|
Hct | 40% | ||
Hb | 100 grams/liter | 10 grams/deciliter | (deci- is 10−1) |
RBC | 5E+12 cells/liter | 5E+6 cells/μL | (micro is 10−6) |
MCV = (Hct/100) / RBC | 8E-14 liters/cell | 80 femtoliters/cell | (femto- is 10−15) |
MCH = Hb / RBC | 2E-11 grams/cell | 20 picograms/cell | (pico- is 10−12) |
MCHC = Hb / (Hct/100) | 250 grams/liter | 25 grams/deciliter | (deci is 10−1) |
References
- ^ a b "MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: RBC indices". Retrieved 2009-03-03.
- ^ "Mean Cell Hemoglobin". Retrieved 2009-03-03.
- ^ Praktikum der Hundeklinik (10 ed.). 2006. p. 102. ISBN 3-8304-4141-X.