A Comparison of the Clinical Hematocrit and True Hematocrit Would

Question

A comparison of the clinical hematocrit and true hematocrit would indicate that
A) the clinical hematocrit is much larger.
B) the true hematocrit is much larger.
C) their values are very similar.

Accepted Answer

The clinical hematocrit is measured in a microhematocrit tube, which contains a small amount of blood. The blood is centrifuged, and the hematocrit is read as the percentage of the tube that is occupied by red blood cells. The true hematocrit is measured in a larger tube, which contains a larger amount of blood. The blood is centrifuged, and the hematocrit is read as the percentage of the tube that is occupied by red blood cells. The true hematocrit is slightly larger than the clinical hematocrit because the larger tube contains more blood and therefore more red blood cells.