Admin What do hematocrit levels indicate?
A hematocrit test measures how much of your blood is made up of red blood cells. Red blood cells contain a protein called hemoglobin that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Hematocrit levels that are too high or too low can indicate a blood disorder, dehydration, or other medical conditions.
What does it mean if HCT is high?
If your hematocrit is high, it means that you have more red blood cells than is considered healthy. High hematocrit may be caused by [4:1]: Heart disease. Dehydration.
Why would hematocrit and hemoglobin be low?
Possible causes of low Hgb include: lack of iron in your diet, which makes it harder for your bone marrow to produce Hgb. lack of folate or vitamin B-12, which can lead to your body producing fewer red blood cells than are needed. severe blood loss after surgery or a major injury.
What does HCT stand for?
HCT stands for hematocrit. This is a test that measures the volume percentage of red blood cells in your blood.
What causes HCT to be elevated?
High hematocrit may be due to: Congenital heart disease. Failure of the right side of the heart. Too little water in the body (dehydration) Low levels of oxygen in the blood. Scarring or thickening of the lungs.
What does HCT stand for in medical terms?
The term “hematocrit” was coined in 1903 and comes from the Greek roots hemat-, blood + krites, judge = to judge or gauge the blood. The abbreviation for hematocrit is hct. In medical slang the hematocrit is called the crit.
What causes high HCT?
Causes of a high hematocrit include: Dehydration (heat exhaustion, no available source of fluids) Low availability of oxygen (smoking, high altitude, pulmonary fibrosis) Genetic (congenital heart diseases) Erythrocytosis (over-production of red blood cells by the bone marrow or polycythemia vera)