Haematological Values in Apparently Healthy Adults in Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

A total of 232 apparently healthy adult Nigerians, aged 20-26 years comprising 100 females and 132 males, who came for medical examination at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, between May, 2000 and May, 2002 were studied to establish haematological values for adults in Kano, Nigeria. Standard methods were used to determine haematocrit, total and differential leucocyte counts. There were no statistically significant differences between both sexes with regard to haematocrit levels and total leucocyte counts (0.45 ± 0.03l/l and 4.7 ± 1.6 x 10⁹/l) for males and (0.39 ± 0.04 l/l and 4.9 ± 1.7 x 10⁹/l) for females (P < 0.05), while the differences of mean differential neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte and eosinophil counts for males (50 ± 9%, 48 ± 9%, 0.01 ± 0.09% and 1.4 ± 2.2%) were statistically significant when compared to the mean values of females (54 ± 9%, 45 ± 9%, 0.1 ± 0.4% and 0.8 ± 1.7%) at P < 0.001, P < 0.01, P < 0.02 and P < 0.02 respectively. The results obtained from this study could be used to monitor the health status of adult Nigerians in Kano State.

Key words: haematocrit values, leucocyte counts, healthy adult Nigerians

Journal of Medical Laboratory Sciences Vol.12(1) 2003: 70-73