RBC Indices Calculator — MCV, MCH, MCHC from CBC Results
Enter hemoglobin, hematocrit and RBC count from your full blood count (CBC) to calculate MCV, MCH and MCHC — key indices used to classify the type of anaemia.
g/dL
%
×10⁶/µL
Normocytic
- 1
MCH — Hb per red cell
14 ÷ 4.8 × 10 = 29.2 - 2
MCHC — Hb concentration
14 ÷ 42 × 100 = 33.3 - 3
Hematocrit ÷ RBC count
42 ÷ 4.8 = 8.75 - 4
MCV — mean cell volume
8.75 × 10 = 87.5
How does this calculator work?
MCV = (Hct / RBC) × 10 fL (normal 80–100); MCH = (Hb / RBC) × 10 pg (normal 27–33); MCHC = (Hb / Hct) × 100 g/dL (normal 31.5–35.7). Low MCV suggests microcytic anaemia; high MCV suggests macrocytic anaemia. Always interpret with your clinical picture.
Formula
How this is calculated
Red blood cell (RBC) indices are calculated quantities derived from three directly measured CBC parameters: hemoglobin (Hb, g/dL), hematocrit (Hct, %), and RBC count (millions/µL). Modern haematology analysers compute them automatically, but the formulas are straightforward.
MCV (Mean Corpuscular Volume) measures the average size of a red blood cell in femtolitres: MCV = (Hct / RBC) × 10. Normal adult MCV is 80–100 fL. Values below 80 fL indicate microcytosis (small cells, typical of iron deficiency or thalassaemia), while values above 100 fL indicate macrocytosis (large cells, typical of B12/folate deficiency or liver disease).
MCH (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin) is the average haemoglobin mass per red cell in picograms: MCH = (Hb / RBC) × 10. Normal range is 27–33 pg. MCHC (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration) reflects average haemoglobin concentration within a red cell: MCHC = (Hb / Hct) × 100 in g/dL. Normal is 31.5–35.7 g/dL; MCHC above ~36 g/dL can suggest hereditary spherocytosis. Together MCV, MCH and MCHC help distinguish the cause of anaemia. These reference ranges are typical adult values from UK/US guidelines (e.g. WHO 2011); exact normal ranges differ slightly between laboratories.
Frequently asked questions
Low MCV (microcytosis) with low MCH (hypochromia) is the classic pattern of iron deficiency anaemia or thalassaemia. Iron deficiency typically also shows an elevated RDW (red cell size variation), while thalassaemia trait often has a normal or low RDW.
Yes. Haemolysis, lipaemia or very high white cell counts can artefactually raise MCHC on automated analysers. A true MCHC above 36–37 g/dL in a non-haemolysed sample is rare and suggests hereditary spherocytosis.
Yes — children have different reference ranges that vary with age. For example, neonates have higher MCV (>100 fL) that gradually falls to adult levels by age 10–12. Always use age-appropriate reference ranges from your laboratory.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). RBC Indices Calculator — MCV, MCH, MCHC from CBC Results [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/rbc-indices-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "RBC Indices Calculator — MCV, MCH, MCHC from CBC Results." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/rbc-indices-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "RBC Indices Calculator — MCV, MCH, MCHC from CBC Results," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/rbc-indices-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_rbc_indices_calculator, title = {RBC Indices Calculator — MCV, MCH, MCHC from CBC Results}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/rbc-indices-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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