Which red blood cell index measures the average amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells?

The mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) is the red blood cell index that measures the average amount of hemoglobin contained in each red blood cell. This value is significant because it helps in assessing the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood by providing insight into how much hemoglobin each cell has to transport oxygen. A higher MCH indicates that each red blood cell has more hemoglobin, while a lower MCH suggests that there might be insufficient hemoglobin in individual cells.

MCH is typically expressed in picograms per cell and is calculated using the formula:

[ \text{MCH} = \frac{\text{Total hemoglobin (g/dL)}}{\text{RBC count (millions/mcL)}} \times 10 ]

This calculation and measurement are crucial in diagnosing different types of anemia and understanding patients' overall hematological status.

In contrast, other red blood cell indices such as MCV (mean corpuscular volume) measure the average size of red blood cells, MCHC (mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration) measures the average concentration of hemoglobin in a given volume of packed red blood cells, and RBC count indicates the total number of red blood cells in a volume of blood but does not provide specific