Hematocrit

A blood sample is needed.

No special preparation is necessary for this test.

When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or a slight bruise. This soon goes away.

The hematocrit is almost always done as part of a complete blood count ( CBC ). Your health care provider may recommend this test if you have signs of or are at risk for anemia. These include having: Before and after major surgery Blood in your stools, or vomit (if you throw up) Chronic medical problems, such as…

Normal results vary, but in general they are: Male: 40.7% to 50.3% Female: 36.1% to 44.3% For babies, normal results are: Newborn: 45% to 61% Infant: 32% to 42% The examples above are common measurements for results of these tests. Normal value ranges vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different…

Low hematocrit may be due to: Anemia Bleeding Bone marrow being unable to produce new red blood cells. This may be due to leukemia, other cancers, medicine toxicity, radiation therapy, infection, or bone marrow disorders Chronic illness Chronic kidney disease Destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis) Leukemia…

There is little risk involved with having your blood taken. Veins and arteries vary in size from one person to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others. Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include:…

Means RT Jr. Approach to the anemias. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine . 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 144. Thom CS, Lambert MP. Blood disorders. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics . 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 138.…