Reticulocyte Count

What To Think About

• In anemia, the reticulocyte count will be abnormal because the levels of red blood cells and hemoglobin are low. Also, reticulocytes make up a higher percentage of the blood count in anemia, which makes the reticulocyte count falsely high. For this reason, a doctor will check the reticulocyte count along with the reticulocyte index (RI) when checking for anemia. The RI is a measurement for reticulocytes when anemia is present.
• A reticulocyte count may help a doctor decide other tests that need to be done to diagnose a specific type of anemia or other disease. A low reticulocyte count may mean a need for a bone marrow biopsy. This can tell if there is a problem with how new reticulocytes are made by the bone marrow. For more information, see the medical test Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy.

Go to previous section	Go to top of page	Go to next section
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: September 28, 2006
Medical Review:	Renée M. Crichlow, MD - Family Medicine Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology
© 1995-2008 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.