RDW - blood test: transcript, norm

The most important part of the human body -circulatory system. Circulation of blood occurs throughout life, it contacts absolutely with all tissues and organs in the body. On the basic indicators of blood, the doctor has the opportunity to determine the state of health.

The study evaluates a variety ofqualitative and quantitative indicators of substances contained in it. The study of erythrocytes is most often indicated by the abbreviations MDV, RDW CV, RDW and some others. Let's try to understand what a blood test is on RDW. The decoding will be presented in detail.

Study of the characteristics of red blood cells

Most of the indicators of the analysisIt is understandable without further explanation. Parameters such as glucose, leukocytes, cholesterol and some others are fairly well known, and their rate is usually indicated next to the patient's result. By means of a simple mathematical comparison, it is possible to determine whether the research indicators are at a normal level or not. But what is a blood test for RDW CV? The interpretation of these values is of interest to many.

RDW blood test means the same,as the index of distribution of red blood cells. The study determines the presence of deformed blood cells in the blood. This phenomenon is called anisocytosis. If the state of erythrocytes is normal, then they all have approximately the same size, which allows them to replace each other as needed and perform the same functions. If some of the red blood cells are large, then this is a violation.

For the process of existence of abnormal erythrocytesmuch more food is needed, their life span is shortened. Quite often, macro cells have a larger size than a capillary. As a consequence, they can not normally circulate through the body and are disposed of.

Blood test and decoding of RDW SD and CV givesthe possibility of determining the ratio between normal red blood cells and enlarged or deformed. RDW CV reflects the percentage distribution of red blood cells by size. RDW SD shows the standard deviation, in other words, the difference in size between the largest and smallest erythrocyte present in the blood sample.

In what cases is this blood test done on RDW? The decoding will be considered below.

Indication for the study

Absolutely any doctor, starting from the precincttherapist and ending with a specialist in a certain field of medicine, can send a patient to the UAC. The blood test for RDW can be carried out at the annual medical examination and according to the indications. But with an annual survey, the analysis is not always assigned. This indicator will lie in the case of a patient experiencing the following symptoms:

Increased temperature in the absence of visible causes, for example, colds.
Drowsiness, despite the fact that the patient is resting enough.
Increased sweating regardless of the heat.
Fast fatiguability.
Emotionality, irritability, a sharp change of mood.
Yellowing of the skin (in rare cases).

What is the basis for decoding RDW in a blood test?

Norm

In adult men and women, normal performanceRDW are the same. They are in the range of 11.5-14.5%. Research on anisocytosis in children can give different results. The norm in newborns is the range of 14.9-18.7%. This is due to stress as a result of childbirth and adaptation to life. For children from six months, the normal level of RDW is 11.6-14.8%. The older the child becomes, the closer the RDW indicator approaches the norm of an adult.

The RDW decoding in the blood test is performed bythe attending physician or a qualified specialist who has an understanding of the patient's medical history and is able to take into account all the necessary factors. If the deviation from the norm is about 15%, then we can speak about the presence of a violation. In some cases, the patient may be referred for re-examination.

Increased RDW

An increased level may be evidencepresence of pathology or disease. Quite often it happens because of a deficiency in the body of vitamins and nutrients. In addition, the main causes of the violation include:

chronic stage of liver disease;
development of tumors and cancer;
Alzheimer's disease;
CAS diseases;
deficiency of iron, capable of influencing the function of hematopoiesis;
anemia of different nature, for example, hemolytic, microcytic, megaloblastic, iron deficiency. It is especially important to identify a similar cause in pregnant women;
deficiency of vitamin B12 and B9;
alcoholism;
deficiency of folic acid.

With a general blood test, deciphering RDW is not difficult.

Downgrade

There are times when the RDW indicator is lowered. In order to determine the reasons for this phenomenon, it is required to consider in a complex two indicators - RDW and MCV.

In the event that both of these indicators are lowered,then we can talk about the violation of the spleen, which performs the disposal of damaged red blood cells, or the liver that performs the cleavage of toxins.
In the event that the RDW is lowered, andthe MCV score is increased, then the probability of development of bone marrow lesions by cancer cells should be considered. It is possible that for a long time the body developed a cancerous tumor, which specialists did not notice, and its metastases affected the bone marrow.

The reasons for the decline in the indicator

It often happens that the transcript in the blood test RDWincrease it and identify it. But the decrease in the indicator is quite rare. This indicates the presence of quite serious problems in the body. It should be noted that 99.9% of cases of such results arise due to the influence of external factors during the research. This may be inaccurate or incorrect configuration of the equipment, failure or violation during storage of the samples under study. If re-examination also indicates a low RDW, then the reason may be:

Blood donation.
Surgical intervention performed to remove an organ, its parts.
Severe blood loss as a resultpathology or trauma. The most dangerous are gastric and uterine bleeding. With them, there is a rapid loss of blood, which reduces the patient's chances of survival.
Violation of metabolic processes in the body, resulting in insufficient absorption of minerals and vitamins from food.
Hormonal dysfunction. The RDW indicator is often lowered during pregnancy, during puberty, with the intake of hormonal contraceptives
Lack of vitamin B or folic acid.

Conclusion

So, we considered decoding RDW in the analysisAs you can see, it's not absolutely necessary to be a doctor to understand the results of the RDW study. However, the interpretation of the analysis should be carried out by a qualified specialist, capable of taking into account all important factors.