g6pd deficiency

if the MCV is a little high, would that conclusively indicate the patient does NOT have Microcytic Anemia since their erythrocytes are larger (but the number would be lower with G6PD deficiency as they die off first?)

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Opposites
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

The DEFINITION of Macrocytic anemia is when the MCV is high. It is not a diagnosis, per se, it is only an observation or measurement. The words MCV are Mean (as in the 'average', as opposed to them being 'not nice') Corpuscular Volume. So macrocytic anemia, by definition, is a measurement of a red blood cell volume higher than is generally considered normal.

Microcytic Anemia, by definition, is a too low mean corpuscular volume. They are the exact opposite of each other and therefore having one necessitates that you cannot have the other. You cannot have a high red blood cell volume at the same time as a low red blood cell volume. It would sort of like being overweight and underweight at the same time. It's impossible.

However, you can have too FEW blood cells AND Macrocytic Anemia at the same time. That would be both 'anemia' and 'macrocytic anemia'. But you cannot have microcytic anemia and macrocytic anemia at the same time anymore than you can weigh 100 pounds and 200 pounds at the same time.


Kerri Knox, RN

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