Home > Encyclopedia of Children's Health > Red Blood Cell Indices

Definition

Red blood cell (RBC) indices are calculations derived from the complete blood count that aid in the diagnosis and classification of anemia. Measurements needed to calculate indices are the red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. The hematocrit is the percentage of blood by volume that is occupied by the red cells. The three RBC indices are:

• Mean corpuscular volume (MCV). The average size of the red blood cells expressed in femtoliters. MCV is calculated by dividing the hematocrit (as percent) by the RBC count in millions per microliter of blood, then multiplying by 10.
• Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH). The average amount of hemoglobin inside an RBC expressed in picograms. The MCH is calculated by dividing the hemoglobin concentration in grams per deciliter by the RBC count in millions per microliter, then multiplying by...