How To Treat And Diagnose Diamond-Blackfan Anemia

Hemoglobin And Hematocrit Test

A hematocrit test measures the proportion of blood made up of red blood cells. As mentioned previously, blood consists of red and white blood cells and platelets, which are suspended in a fluid known as plasma. Together, these components are known as whole blood. The hematocrit test is a relatively quick and straightforward way to evaluate red blood cells and detect conditions such as anemia. The hematocrit test is a ratio of the volume of red blood cells to all the components' volume. That value is expressed as a percentage or fraction, so, for instance, a hematocrit value of fifty percent means that there are fifty milliliters of red blood cells in one hundred milliliters of whole blood. The volume of blood is typically made up of roughly thirty-seven to forty-nine percent of red blood cells. If the red blood count and the hemoglobin levels are low, the patient has anemia.

Diagnosing Diamond-Blackfan anemia on time is critical. Continue reading for more information.