Type of test Blood

 Normal findings

 Reticulocyte count:

 Adult/elderly/child: 0.5%-2%

Infant: 0.5%-3.1%

Newborn: 2.5%-6.5%

Reticulocyte index: 1

Test explanation and related physiology

 A reticulocyte is an immature RBC that can be readily identified under a microscope. Normally there are a small number of reticulocytes in the bloodstream. The reticulocyte count is a test for determining bone marrow function and evaluating erythropoietic activity. This test is also useful in classifying anemias.

Increased reticulocyte counts indicate that the marrow is put ting an increased number of RBCs into the bloodstream, usually in response to anemia. A normal or low reticulocyte count in a patient with anemia indicates that the marrow response to the anemia by way of production of RBCs is inadequate and perhaps contributing to or the cause of the anemia (as in aplastic anemia, iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, or depletion of iron stores). An elevated reticulocyte count found in patients with a normal hemogram indicates increased RBC production compensating for an ongoing loss of RBCs (hemolysis or hemorrhage).

To determine whether a reticulocyte count indicates an appropriate erythropoietic (RBC marrow) response in patients with anemia and a decreased hematocrit, one should calculate the reticulocyte index:

The reticulocyte index in a patient with a good marrow response to the anemia should be 1. If it is lower than 1, even though the reticulocyte count is elevated, the bone marrow response is inadequate in its ability to compensate.

Determination of the reticulocyte-specific hemoglobin content (or reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent) is a measure of the mean hemoglobin in reticulocytes. This test indicates the amount of iron available for incorporation into hemoglobin over the previous 3 to 5 days. It is a very reliable test to identify iron deficiency, especially in children or in the face of complex other chronic diseases.

Interfering factors

 • Pregnancy may cause an increased reticulocyte count.

• RBCs containing Howell-Jolly bodies look like reticulocytes and can be miscounted by some automated counter machines to be reticulocytes and give a falsely high number of reticulocytes.

Procedure and patient care

 • See inside front cover for Routine Blood Testing.

• Fasting: no

 • Blood tube commonly used: lavender

Abnormal findings

 Increased levels

- Hemolytic anemia

- Sickle cell anemia

- Hemorrhage (3-4 days later)

-Postsplenectomy

- Hemolytic disease of the newborn

- Pregnancy

- Leukemias

- Recovery from nutritional anemias

Decreased levels

- Pernicious anemia

- Folic acid deficiency

- Iron-deficiency anemia

- Adrenocortical hypofunction

- Aplastic anemia

- Radiation therapy

-Marrow failure

- Anterior pituitary hypofunction

- Chronic infection

- Cirrhosis Malignancy

اخر الاخبار

اخبار العتبة العباسية المقدسة

فرقة العباس تنظم مجلس عزائها السنوي بذكرى شهادة النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله) في النجف

قسم الشؤون الفكرية وجامعة الكوفة يعقدان شراكة علمية لتدريب الطلبة على صيانة المخطوطات وحفظها

بالتزامن مع ذكرى شهادته.. قسم الشؤون الفكرية يصدر كتابًا عن النبي الأعظم (صلى الله عليه وآله)

بالصور.. جموع المؤمنين تحيي ذكرى شهادة الرسول الأكرم عند مرقد الإمام علي (صلوات الله عليهما)

المزيد

الآخبار الصحية

لون أسنانك يتحدث عن صحتك.. إليك ما يقول

عادة يومية بسيطة تخفض الكوليسترول وتحمي القلب

الزنجبيل.. دواء سحري لحماية القلب

المشروبات شديدة السخونة.. "خطر خفي" يهدد صحتك

المزيد

الآخبار التكنلوجية

كيف يمكن لعادات القيادة السيئة أن تؤثر على قيمة سيارتك

في طوفان الذكاء الاصطناعي.. نصائح لحجز "تذكرة النجاة"

هكذا يسرق "قراصنة الذكاء الاصطناعي" المليارات بطرق بسيطة

فيديو لانفجار كرة نارية في سماء اليابان.. ما تفسير ذلك؟

المزيد

مواضيع ذات صلة

rheumatoid factor (RF)

red blood cell indices (RBC indices, Blood indices)

NGAL

Biomarkers of Tubulo-Interstitial Injury

Low-Molecular-Weight Plasma Proteins

Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA)

Enzyme-Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA)

Diagnostic Evaluation of Lyme disease

red blood cell count (RBC count, Erythrocyte count)

rabies-neutralizing antibody test

prothrombin time (PT, Protime, International normalized ratio [INR])

Estimation of the Glomerular Filtration Rate by Equations