Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration

Hemoglobin

The mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) is a measure of the concentration of hemoglobin in a given volume of packed red blood cell.

It is calculated by dividing the hemoglobin by the hematocrit. Reference ranges for blood tests are 32 to 36 g/dL (320 to 360g/L),[1] or between 4.81 and 5.58 mmol/L. It is thus a mass or molar concentration. Still, many instances measure MCHC in percentage (%), as if it were a mass fraction (mHb / mRBC).[2][3] Numerically, however, the MCHC in g/dL and the mass fraction of hemoglobin in red blood cells in % are identical, assuming an RBC density of 1g/mL and negligible hemoglobin in plasma.[citation needed]

  1. ^ MedlinePlus Encyclopedia: RBC indices
  2. ^ Blood Test Results - Normal Ranges Archived 2012-11-02 at the Wayback Machine Bloodbook.Com. Retrieved on Jan 7, 2009
  3. ^ MedicineNet > Definition of MCHC Archived 2011-08-06 at the Wayback Machine Last Editorial Review: 7/21/1999