MCHC Blood Test – Low, High, What does it Mean

Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration or abbreviated as MCHC is the average amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. The word “mean” refers to an average of something. It comes from the Middle English word “mene” which means in the middle. Corpuscular or also known as corpuscle comes from the Latin word “corpusculum” meaning “little body”. In biology, the word corpuscle means a living cell (as red or white blood cell). In this test, the red blood cell is the living cell. Hemoglobin is a substance in the blood that carries oxygen to the cells in the body from the lungs. It comes from the Greek word “haima” meaning “blood” and the Latin word “globus” meaning “ball”. Then the word concentration refers to the amount of something in a given area. It came from two Latin words “con” meaning “together” and “centrum” meaning “center”, so it means “together (in the) center.” Over all, this is why the Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration refers to amount of the hemoglobin in a given number of red blood cells.

MCHC Blood Test (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration)

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) is a measurement of the average amount of hemoglobin in a single red blood cell (RBC) as it relates to the volume of the cell. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body, supporting the development and function of organs and tissues.

The MCHC test is one of a panel of tests called the RBC indices, which help to define different physical characteristics of RBC. As an assessment of the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, the MCHC test (along with the other RBC indices) can be used to diagnose and classify disorders that affect the blood, like anemia.

About the Test

Purpose of the test

The purpose of an MCHC test is to evaluate whether RBC are carrying an appropriate amount of hemoglobin. MCHC is one of several measurements used to assess the function and health of RBC to check for signs of anemia and other blood disorders.

The MCHC test is one of the RBC indices, a collection of tests that provide information about certain characteristics of RBC like their size, shape, and quality. RBC indices are part of a complete blood count (CBC) which collectively include:

• Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH)
• Mean corpuscular volume (MCV)
• Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC)
• Red blood cell distribution width (RDW)

The results of MCHC and the other RBC indices are used to diagnose and classify different types of anemia.

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What does the test measure?

The MCHC test measures the concentration of hemoglobin in a RBC relative to the size of the cell itself. MCHC is a calculation that helps describe how much space inside of each RBC is made of hemoglobin.

A protein carried by RBC and that plays a vital role in supporting overall health, hemoglobin delivers oxygen to organs and tissues throughout the body. It also transports carbon dioxide back to the lungs where it can be exhaled.

When should I get an MCHC test?

MCHC is measured during a CBC, a common test that analyzes the quality of your blood. A CBC is usually part of a routine health examination and is an important test for diagnosing and monitoring a wide variety of diseases and conditions.

MCHC and other RBC indices on a CBC are evaluated if you have signs or symptoms of anemia. In this common blood disorder, the body is not producing enough healthy RBC, a condition that limits how much oxygen is delivered to organs and tissue.

Anemia can be mild or severe, depending upon the underlying cause of the condition and the progression of the disease. Some signs and symptoms of mild anemia develop over time and may include:

• Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
• Cognitive problems such as issues with concentrating or thinking
• Feeling weak or tired more often than usual
• Headaches
• Feeling agitated or irritable
• Loss of appetite

Signs that anemia is progressing may include:

• Being out of breath with mild activity or even at rest
• Skin that is unusually pale
• An unusually red or possibly sore tongue
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Abnormal or increased menstrual bleeding
• Desire to eat ice or other non-food things including dirt
• Nails that break, chip or split easily
• Blue color to the whites of the eyes

Finding an MCHC Test

How can I get an MCHC test?

An MCHC test is part of a blood panel called a CBC, which generally requires a full blood draw to produce accurate MCHC test results. It is usually conducted by a licensed professional in a health care setting. The analysis of test results is conducted in a laboratory. You can order a CBC online from Testing.com with analysis performed by a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-approved lab.

Can I take the test at home?

There are options for at-home CBC testing that include MCHC and the RBC indices. At-home test kits include instructions and tools for collecting a blood sample. When you are ready, you can mail or sample to a laboratory for analysis. The results of an at-home CBC are usually ready two to three business days after the sample is received and are reported electronically, through an online health portal, or by email.

At-home CBC test results cannot be used to diagnose or monitor any health condition. Your results must be shared with a health care provider who is familiar with your health history and situation. A traditional blood draw and CBC may be recommended by your doctor to confirm the results.

How much does the test cost?

Several factors affect the cost of a CBC test, which includes an MCHC test. The cost depends on where the test is conducted and whether you have health insurance coverage. Additional costs may include copays and/or deductibles. For example, a test from Testing.com is $37.

You can ask your doctor or health insurance provider for specific details on the expected costs of a CBC.

Taking an MCHC Test

The MCHC test is part of the CBC performed on a blood sample collected by a licensed medical professional.

Before the test

Generally, no special preparation is required before carrying out the blood draw for a CBC to find MCHC, unless your doctor provides specific instructions.

A CBC is commonly conducted at the same time as other blood tests. When you are getting more than one blood test, your provider may ask you to not eat anything for a certain amount of time or give other instructions prior to your blood draw.

During the test

Several steps occur during a needle blood draw:

1. A medical professional will locate a vein in your arm, hand, or another part of your body from which to draw your blood.
2. An alcohol wipe is used to wipe your arm clean in the area where the needle will be inserted. The most common locations are inside of the elbow or at the top of the hand.
3. A band, called a tourniquet, is placed around your upper arm to make the vein in your arm more visible and easier to access with a needle.
4. The needle is then placed in your vein, and a blood sample tube is attached to the needle which is then filled with blood. You may or may not feel a pinch or a little pain when the needle is inserted.
5. After a few minutes, once the vial is filled, the needle and tourniquet are removed and the test is over.

After the test

Once the blood draw is complete, the medical professional will apply a bandage or cotton swab where the needle went in to prevent bleeding. You will likely be instructed to keep this in place for an hour or more.

It is possible that you may experience some slight side effects from the blood draw. It is common for minor bruising, dizziness, or lightheadedness to occur after a blood draw. Individuals rarely experience fainting, persistent bleeding, nausea, or tingling of hands or feet.

In some cases, your health care provider may ask you to stay seated briefly after the blood draw until they are sure you are safe to walk and/or drive.

MCHC Test Results

Receiving test results

The results for your CBC and MCHC test can be available within a few days after the blood sample arrives at the laboratory. The time frame may depend upon the laboratory’s equipment and practices.

You will be able to access a report of your CBC results through an online patient portal, if you ordered a test through Testing.com, or by requesting a copy from your health care provider. Your doctor will review each measurement on your CBC, including MCHC and other RBC indices, and describe what the results mean in relation to your health.

Interpreting test results

MCHC is interpreted in comparison to its reference range and also in relation to other RBC indices. The reference range is the set of results that are considered to be expected among most healthy adults in a designated population. Reference ranges are established by each laboratory according to their own practices and equipment.

MCHC is reported as grams per deciliter (g/dL). The American Board of Internal Medicine lists a typical MCHC reference range as 33-36 g/dL.

The MCHC result is compared to other RBC indices and measurements on a CBC to diagnose anemia and determine the underlying cause.

If you have anemia, MCHC results are categorized as follows:

• Lower than MCHC reference range is called hypochromic anemia, which is often caused by iron deficiency.
• Within MCHC reference range is called normochromic anemia if you have symptoms of anemia. This condition can be caused by sudden blood loss, kidney failure, artificial heart valves, or aplastic anemia, a rare type of anemia in which the body does not produce enough RBC.
• Higher than MCHC reference range is called hyperchromic anemia, which may be caused by spherocytosis, a rare hereditary condition in which the body makes abnormally shaped RBC. Hyperchromic anemia can also occur when RBC abnormally clump together, referred to as RBC agglutination.

MCHC is generally not interpreted separately from other blood values. To be a meaningful diagnostic test, it must be compared with RBC indices collectively. Talk to your health care provider about the meaning of your specific test results.

Your MCHC levels may have some implications for your health. If you decide to discuss your results with your health care provider, the following questions may be helpful:

• What does my MCHC result mean for my health?
• Can any diagnoses be made based on my MCHC results?
• Are there any follow-up tests needed based on my MCHC results?
• Is there anything I should do to improve my health if my test results are abnormal?

Related Tests

• Red Blood Cell Count (RBC) TestLearn More
• White Blood Cell Count (WBC Blood Test)Learn More
• Platelet Count (PLT) Blood TestLearn More
• MCV Blood Test (Mean Corpusal Volume)Learn More
• MCH Blood Test (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin)Learn More
• Blood SmearLearn More

Resources

• National Library of Medicine: Blood Disorders (Hematological Diseases)
• National Library of Medicine: Anemia (Iron Poor Blood)
• MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Acute Kidney Failure

MCHC Blood Test – Low, High, What does it Mean

Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration or abbreviated as MCHC is the average amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. The word “mean” refers to an average of something. It comes from the Middle English word “mene” which means in the middle. Corpuscular or also known as corpuscle comes from the Latin word “corpusculum” meaning “little body”. In biology, the word corpuscle means a living cell (as red or white blood cell). In this test, the red blood cell is the living cell. Hemoglobin is a substance in the blood that carries oxygen to the cells in the body from the lungs. It comes from the Greek word “haima” meaning “blood” and the Latin word “globus” meaning “ball”. Then the word concentration refers to the amount of something in a given area. It came from two Latin words “con” meaning “together” and “centrum” meaning “center”, so it means “together (in the) center.” Over all, this is why the Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration refers to amount of the hemoglobin in a given number of red blood cells.

What is MCHC in Blood Test?

The Complete Blood Count (CBC) test has a value of MCHC. Hemoglobin Concentration had it’s vital role in clinical significance, as hemoglobin carries oxygen from lungs to each body tissue. The total of hemoglobin in a red blood cell is measured as the Mean Cell Hemoglobin (MCH) can be observed in the Complete Blood Count (CBC). It’s usually reflects to the size of the red blood cells. The MCHC blood test can tell the patient if his or her red blood cells pack in more or less hemoglobin than the normal. This is why the red blood cell appearing more or less red, because the hemoglobin causes the red color to the blood. Usually MCHC blood test conducted when the patient has signs of abnormal hemoglobin like he or she experiencing too much weakness or exhaustion, blood hemorrhage, presence of infection or perceptible swelling of the face or other body parts. It is used to diagnose the type, cause, severity of anemia. Anemia is a condition that develops when the blood lacks of enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin. In case of there are few or abnormal red blood cells or the hemoglobin is abnormal or low, the cells in the body won’t get an adequate amount of oxygen. Most anemic experiencing fatigue, occur because the organs aren’t receiving enough of what they need to function properly.

What Does a Low or High MCHC Mean?

There is no specific normal value, yet the most widely used standard of MCHC is in the range of 32-36 grams/deciliter in adults or can be also expressed in percentage within 28-36%. The standard value is set to be in range because different laboratories use different machinery or technique in measuring MCHC which brings different results of the blood tests. Thus every laboratory had their considerable normal range in the reported result document.

Low Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration means there is less hemoglobin in the red blood cell not considering the size of the cell. This case called as Hypochromia or Hypochromic anemia means the red blood cells do not have enough hemoglobin to function properly. It may be caused by prolonged blood loss, iron deficiency, internal bleeding, any gastrointestinal tract tumors or a specific condition. People have hypochromic anemia experiencing fatigue and short breath most of the time. MCHC can consider low if the level of blood test result is below 28% or 32 grams/deciliter.

High Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration refers to the level of MCHC above 36% or over to 36 grams/deceliter. High MCHC also known as Hyperchromia or Macrocytic anemia. There is a high concentration of hemoglobin in a red blood cells than the usual. This case commonly seen in autoimmune hemolytic anemia, also in burn patient and it may also occur in hereditary spherocytosis, which is an unusual disorder. This usually cause of lack of folic acid or vitamin B12 and liver disease.

How Are MCHC Blood Tests Performed?

The MCHC blood test is part of Complete Blood Count (CBC) perform by the physician to determine the overall health of the patient. If a person is hospitalize, he or she needs to undergo this test. Even there is no suspicious disease, the doctor may still perform it. It is necessary to determine the signs of anemia and infection.

The test works this way, the blood will be drawn into a tube that contains an anticoagulant and the using a Coulter counter, it will be analyzed. The latter step is typically automated, which the red blood cells count multiplied by the size produces the hematocrit number and the concentration of hemoglobin measured after bursting the red blood cells. The instrument calculates dividing hemoglobin by the hematocrit. The color of the blood is an important factor, if its lighter than the usual the result is low MCHC, or if its darker possible the MCHC is high.

Ways to Improve MCHC Level

Before anything else, the patient need to determine what is the cause of his/her condition, it may be caused by the following:

1. a serious illness like a problem in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract tumors, a symptom of colon cancer the patient needs specialized treatment in the hospital.
2. a drug medication affecting the iron, vitamin C or folic acid also known as vitamin B12 absorption. If that the case, the patient need to talk to his/her doctor to prescribe alternative medicine.
3. a lack of well balance diet or nutritional deficiencies, the patient need to eat foods rich in iron, vitamin C and vitamin B12 or folic acid. Supplementations also can help to bridge the gap of the nutrients needed by the patient.

Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration as a part of CBC had its vital role in the over all health of everyone. And those who have the same cases of the above causes, either of those three, the patient still need to have a formal check up and ask the doctor for the best recommendations to his/her condition.