Role of RBC Count and RBC Indices in Diagnosing and Differentiating Anemias Caused Due to Various Clinical Situations in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Vadodara, Gujarat

BACKGROUND : technologies have made it easier for the pathologist and clinician to diagnose any case anemia. Automated cell counters are widely used since last two decades that have further facilitated and made it easy for to reach to the root cause of anemia. RBC count and entire RBC indices along with HB estimation gives a definite as to what could be the cause of anemia. The whole spectrum of RBC indices i.e. MCV, and MCHC along with RBC , PCV and estimation plays a vital role to analyze the cause of anemia. AND METHODS: cross sectional study was carried out at Parul Institute of Medical Science and Research, , Vadodara, Gujarat. Investigations of RBC count and RBC indic of patients were carried out on fully automated cell – Merck diagnostics. Study included 700 patients with Hemoglobin <10gm% which included males and females of group 15 - 50 years. : 700 anemic patients with Hemoglobin < 10gm % were enrolled in the study. Among them 569 were females included pregnant females also and 131 were males. Patients were of age group 15 - 50 years. Data revealed that 45 % patients had iron deficiency anemia, 14 % had megaloblastic anemia, 13% ha hemolytic anemia, 6 % had anemia due to illness whereas 10 % had dimorphic type of anemia. In iron deficiency anemia, blood picture showed relatively high to RBC count and PCV i.e. hematocrit, typically low MCV and MCH values and low to no MCHC. In megaloblastic , RBC count was very low due to premature destruction of RBC’s and they had low PCV whereas high to very high , MCH and MCHC values. In hemolytic anemia it is seen that RBC count is low and so is the PCV or hematocrit w such have normal to high MCV and normal MCH and MCHC. In anemia of chronic disease all parameters are relatively except low to normal MCV. : indices vary in different types of anemia and are used routinely by clinicians reach presumptive and further investigate the case of anemia and reach final diagnosis