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.

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Author:	Douglas Dana Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: November 30, 2006
Medical Review:	Renée M. Crichlow, MD - Family Medicine Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology
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