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Total red blood corpuscles (RBC) count

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Total red blood corpuscles (RBC) count

BP107P Human Anatomy and Physiology Practical

Aim

To find out the number of red blood cells in one cubic millimetre of blood

Principle

The number of RBC in a known volume of diluted blood is counted and the number of cells in one cmm of undiluted blood is calculated from this.

Apparatus

Hemocytometer, RBC diluting fluid, compound microscope, sterile lancet, watch glass, cotton, rectified spirit

HAEMOCYTOMETER: This includes a counting chamber, a special coverslip, an RBC diluting pipette and a WBC diluting pipette.

Improved Neu-Bauer’s double-counting chamber

This is thick rectangular glass with a polished transverse bar in the centre, separated from the rest of the slide by two parallel grooves on either side. The polished bar is divided into two equal platforms by a groove in the middle resulting in ‘H’ shaped depression (moats). The surface of the platforms is 1/10 mm below the surface of the rest of the slide. So if a cover glass is placed over the surface of the counting chamber, the under the surface of the cover glass remains 1/10 mm above the polished surface of the platform.

The counting area is in the form of a central ruled area on the polished surface of each platform. It is a square of 3 mm side, divided into 9 equal squares of 1 mm side. Of these, the four corner squares are used for WBC counting. Each WBC square of 1 mm side is again divided into sixteen smaller squares each of 1/4mm side. The central 1 mm square is divided into 25 equal small squares of 1/5mm side, by means of triple lines of which the 4 corner ones and the central one are used for RBC counting. Each of these squares is subdivided into 16 smallest squares each of 1/20mm sides.

Other uses of R.B.C. pipette:

  1. WBC count in leukemias
  2. Platelet counting

Uses of the bead in the bulb

  1. For proper mixing
  2. To know whether the pipette is dry
  3. To identify the pipette

R.B.C diluting fluid: Hayem’s fluid is the commonly used diluting fluid.

Composition

Sodium chloride 0.5 Gm Sodium sulphate 2.5 Gm Mercuric perchloride 0.25 Gm
Distilled water 100 ml sodium chloride and sodium sulphate together keep the isotonicity of fluid. Sodium sulphate also prevents the clumping of red cells. Mercuric perchloride fixes the cells and acts as a preservative.

Other diluting fluids:

Gower’s fluid Toison’s fluid
Formol Citrate solution

Procedure

Clean and dry the counting chamber and put on the special coverslip provided. Focus on the high power objective and identify the RBC counting area. Clean the RBC pipette first with distilled water, then with absolute alcohol and finally with ether and keep it dry. Take a small quantity of diluting fluid in a watch glass and keep it aside. Clean the fingertip using rectified spirit and make a deep prick with a sterile lancet, so that blood comes out freely without squeezing. Wipe off the first drop which may contain tissue fluid also. Allow a good-sized blood drop to form a hanging drop and keep the pointed tip of the pipette touching the drop. Suck in blood up to the 0.5 mark carefully, without any air bubble. Excess blood at the tip of the pipette is removed using a blotting paper or piece of cotton. Immediately, diluting fluid from the watch glass is sucked in up to the 101 mark without any air bubble by keeping the pipette in a vertical position.

Then thoroughly mix the blood and diluting fluid in the pipette by gently rolling the pipette held horizontally between the palms and keep aside. Mixing takes place only in the bulb of the pipette. The column of diluting fluid contained in the stem of the pipette does not enter into the dilution (i.e. 101-1 = 100). So that the blood sucked upto 0.5 mark will have a dilution of 0.5 in 100 or 1 in 200. Now take out the

counting chamber for charging discard the first few drops from the pipette, as the stem contains only diluting fluid. Bring one small drop of diluted blood at the tip of the pipette, to the edge of the coverslip on the counting chamber at an angle of about 450 The fluid enters by capillary action under the coverslip and fills the counting chamber. Both areas are filled.

Focus the RBC counting area under high power. Keep the counting chamber undisturbed for about 3 minutes for the cells to settle down in the counting area, and start counting. At least 5 squares, each having 16 smallest squares (preferably 4 corners and 1 central) should be counted to obtain a satisfactory average and a better dispersal value. While counting each small square, cells touching the top and left margin of each square should be omitted and cells touching the bottom and right margin of each square should be counted. Draw a chart of the counting squares in the record and enter the number of cells in each square and when counted.

Precautions

  1. Counting chamber and pipette should be clean and dry.
  2. Fingertip and pricking lancet should be sterile.
  3. Blood should freely come out without squeezing.
  4. Be careful to prevent clotting of blood inside the pipette.
  5. While filling the pipette and charging the counting chamber, no air bubble should enter.
  6. Blood should be taken only upto the 0.5 mark and diluting fluid sucked only upto 101 mark.
  7. Blood should be properly mixed with the diluting fluid.
  8. Discard first few drops before charging because it will not contain RBC5.
  9. While charging the counting chamber, over filling and spilling should be avoided.
  10. Cells should be settled down and more or less evenly distributed before counting.

Calculation

Let the number of cells counted in (5×16) 80 smallest squares be “N” Number of cells in 1 smallest square is N/80
Side of 1 square = 1/20mm

Area of 1 square = 1/400mm2Depth of fluid film in counting chamber is 1/10mm

The volume of diluted blood in 1 square=1/400×1/10=1/4000mm3 Number of cells in 1/4000mm3 diluted blood = N
80 Number of cells in 1 mm3 of diluted blood N 80×1/4000

= Nx4000 80

The dilution factor is 1 in 200

(Total diluted volume in the bulb of the pipette is 100 parts, out of which 0.5 is blood. So dilution is 0.5 in 100 i.e.1 in 200)

So number of cells in 1 mm3 of undiluted blood =Nx 4000×200 = Nxl0000 80

Discussion

(Expressed in millions/mm3) Normal RBC Count Adult male: 5- 5.5 millions/mm3

Adult female: 4.5 – 5 millions/mm3 Variations in Count:
Increase in count Decrease in the count

Physiological variations

  1. Diurnal –
  2. Age –
  3. Sex –
  4. High altitude –
  5. Muscular exercise –
  6. Polycythemia (Erythrocytosis)
  7. Anaemia (Erythropenia)

Less during the night, minimum in the early morning, gradually increases during the day In newborn, high count is seen More in males

Count higher due to hypoxia Count increases
Pathological increase in count:

  1. Lung diseases like emphysema, pulmonary tuberculosis
  2. Congenital heart disease
  3. Carbon monoxide poisoning
  4. Primary polycythemia (Polycythemia rubra vera)

Secondary polycythemia is due to hypoxia resulting from any cause, physiological or pathological.

Pathological decrease in count:

  1. Increased destruction of RBC
  2. Decreased production of RBC

Human Anatomy and Physiology Practical Syllabus

  1. Study of a compound microscope.
  2. Microscopic study of epithelial and connective tissue
  3. Microscopic study of muscular and nervous tissue
  4. Identification of axial bones
  5. Identification of appendicular bones
  6. Introduction to hemocytometry.
  7. Enumeration of white blood cell (WBC) count
  8. Enumeration of total red blood corpuscles (RBC) count
  9. Determination of the bleeding time
  10. Determination of clotting time
  11. Estimation of haemoglobin content
  12. Determination of blood group.
  13. Determination of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).
  14. Determination of heart rate and pulse rate.
  15. Recording of blood pressure.

First Year B Pharm Notes, Syllabus, Books, PDF Subjectwise/Topicwise

F Y B Pharm Sem-IS Y B Pharm Sem-II
BP101T Human Anatomy and Physiology I TheoryBP201T Human Anatomy and Physiology II – Theory
BP102T Pharmaceutical Analysis I TheoryBP202T Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry I Theory
BP103T Pharmaceutics I TheoryBP203T Biochemistry – Theory
BP104T Pharmaceutical Inorganic Chemistry TheoryBP204T Pathophysiology – Theory
BP105T Communication skills TheoryBP205T Computer Applications in Pharmacy Theory
BP106RBT Remedial BiologyBP206T Environmental sciences – Theory
BP106RMT Remedial Mathematics TheoryBP207P Human Anatomy and Physiology II Practical
BP107P Human Anatomy and Physiology PracticalBP208P Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry I Practical
BP108P Pharmaceutical Analysis I PracticalBP209P Biochemistry Practical
BP109P Pharmaceutics I PracticalBP210P Computer Applications in Pharmacy Practical
BP110P Pharmaceutical Inorganic Chemistry Practical
BP111P Communication skills Practical
BP112RBP Remedial Biology Practical

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