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Hematocrit Simulation

Scenario: The blood bank is granting us access to test some of their blood supply. A hematocrit
test measures the amount of red blood cells (RBCs) in the blood. Since RBCs supply oxygen to
the body, if there are too few or too many, it may indicate a disease.

To calculate the Hematocrit % for a blood sample, a lab technician will use a capillary tube and
centrifuge. The blood sample will be placed into a capillary tube and then will be spun in the
centrifuge for five minutes. After this time, the RBCs will have separated to the bottom of the
tube. There will be a smaller, yellowish layer of white blood cells followed by plasma. A reader
card is used to determine the percentage of RBCs.

Age Hematocrit Ranges Example

:
Child 30% - 44%

Adolescent 36% - 40%

Adult women 38% - 46%

Adult men 42% - 54%

For this patient, the volume

of RBC’s is 44, and the Total
volume is 100.
Therefore, the hematocrit
value is 44%.
If you look closely, you can see
the beige line indicating WBCs
and then the rest of the sample
indicates plasma.
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Directions
1. Use the hematocrit simulation to collect data from 15 people and record your findings in the
data table. For each sample you will click “New Sample” for the next sample to use. Record
information on table below
2. Determine if each hematocrit sample is in the low, normal, or high range.
3. For each age range, calculate the % of individuals that have a hematocrit sample in the low,
normal, and high range. Record on second table below the following table.

Data:

Patient Age Sex (M/F) Hematocrit % Diagnosis (High/Normal/Low)

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Individual Data:
Ages %low %normal %high

Children (0-10)

Adolescent (10-18)

Adult women (18-64)

Elderly women (65+)

Adult men (18-64)

Elderly men (65+)

Analysis Questions:
1. What percentage of the population sampled is below the normal range? Which age groupings
showed a higher likelihood of having a low hematocrit?

2. What is the diagnosis given to a person with a low hematocrit %?

3. Describe and explain the symptoms that a person with a low RBC count would exhibit.

4. Do factors such as sex and age make someone more likely to have a lower hematocrit
percentage? Explain.
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5. Based on research, how do you expect altitude to affect a person’s hematocrit percentage?
Explain your answer.

6. Based on research, do you expect athletic training to have an impact on hematocrit results?
Explain.

7. Based on research, explain why anemia is common during pregnancy.