Mean corpuscular hemoglobin: Definition from Answers.com

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008)

The mean corpuscular hemoglobin, 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: 1pg of hemoglobin = 0,06207 femtomol ^[3]. Normal value converted to SI-units: 1,68 - 1,92 fmol/cell.

1 Worked example
2 References
3 External links
4 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+12 cells/liter
MCV = Hct / 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	250 grams/liter	25 grams/deciliter	(deci is 10^-1)

References

^ ^a ^b "MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: RBC indices". http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003648.htm#Why%20the%20test%20is%20performed. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
^ "Mean Cell Hemoglobin". http://diaglab.vet.cornell.edu/clinpath/modules/hemogram/mch.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
^ Praktikum der Hundeklinik (10 ed.). 2006. p. 102. ISBN 383044141X.

External links

Metabolic panel	BMP: electrolytes (Na⁺/K⁺, Cl^-/HCO₃^-) · renal function, BUN-to-creatinine ratio (BUN/Creatinine) · Glucose · Ca CMP: BMP + protein tests (Human serum albumin, Serum total protein) · liver function tests (ALP, ALT, AST, Bilirubin) derived values: Plasma osmolality · Serum osmolal gap

Acid-base homeostasis	Arterial blood gas · Base excess · Anion gap · CO2 content

Iron tests	Transferrin saturation = Serum iron / Total iron-binding capacity Ferritin · Transferrin · Transferrin receptor

Blood sugar	Glucose test · Glucose tolerance test · Glycemia · Noninvasive glucose · C-peptide · Fructosamine · Random glucose test · Glycosylated hemoglobin

Endocrine	ACTH stimulation test · Thyroid function tests

Cardiac marker	Troponin test · CPK-MB test · Glycogen phosphorylase isoenzyme BB

Other	Beutler test · Blood lipids · Tumor marker

Hematology/CBC

Clotting	vWF: Ristocetin induced platelet agglutination clotting factors: Prothrombin time · Partial thromboplastin time · Thrombin time other/general coagulation: Bleeding time · animal enzyme (Reptilase time, Ecarin clotting time, Dilute Russell's viper venom time) · Thromboelastography fibrinolysis: Euglobulin lysis time · D-dimer

Red blood cell indices	Hematocrit · Hemoglobin · RBC count ratios: Mean corpuscular hemoglobin · Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration · Mean corpuscular volume Fetal hemoglobin: Apt-Downey test · Kleihauer-Betke test · Red blood cell distribution width Reticulocyte index · Haptoglobin

Other	Blood film · Blood viscosity · Absolute neutrophil count

Immunology


Infections	viral infection: HIV (HIV test, BDNA test) · Epstein-Barr virus (Monospot test) bacterial infection: syphilis (VDRL, Rapid plasma reagin, Wassermann test, FTA-ABS) · rickettsia (Weil-Felix test) · helicobacter (HelicoCARE direct) · streptococcus (Antistreptolysin O titre) protozoan infection: toxoplasmosis (Sabin-Feldman dye test)

Inflammation	C-reactive protein · Erythrocyte sedimentation rate · MELISA · RAST test

see also reference ranges for blood tests

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Donate to Wikimedia

	normochromic (cell and molecular biology)
	microcytic hypochromic anemia
	MCH

	Your hemoglobin is 11 does this mean you are anemic? Read answer...
	What does a hemoglobin count of 70 mean? Read answer...
	What does it mean when you have 6.4 hemoglobin? Read answer...

	What does a low Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin level mean?
	What does it mean if mean corpuscular hemoglobin is high?
	What are the effects a high Mean corpuscular hemoglobin?

		Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mean corpuscular hemoglobin". Read more

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin

Contents

Worked example

References

External links

See also