Red blood cell (RBC) indices measure your red blood cells' size, shape, and quality. Red blood cells are also known as erythrocytes. They are made in your bone marrow (the spongy tissue inside your large bones). They contain hemoglobin, an iron-rich protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to every cell in your body.
Red blood cell (RBC) indices are part of a complete blood count, a group of tests that measures the number and type of cells in your blood. The results of RBC indices are used to diagnose different types of anemia. There are several types of anemia, and each type has a different effect on the size, shape, and/or quality of red blood cells.
Source: MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Normal range
- Normal
- 28–32 pg
Ranges from American Board of Internal Medicine (Laboratory Test Reference Ranges).
What an abnormal result can be associated with
- A high result
- Increased mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration
- A low result
- Decreased mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration
Associations from LOINC2HPO (Human Phenotype Ontology). This is reference information, not a diagnosis — only a clinician can interpret your result in context.
Details
- Sample
- Whole blood · LOINC
- Part of
- CBC panel
- Listed under
- Anemia
- Code
- LOINC 785-6 · pg
- Also known as
- Red blood cells, Elect, Erythrocytes, Hgb, MCH RBC Qn Auto