Haematological reference values for healthy adults in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Published reports of the basic haematological parameters of apparently healthy subjects in Port Harcourt, Nigeria are relatively scanty. This has resulted in an apparent unavailability of laboratory reference values for haematological parameters for the population.
Aim: To determine the reference values of some basic haematological parameters in apparently healthy adult subjects in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Methods: Two hundred and fifty apparently healthy adults consisting of 150 males and 100 females, aged between 15 and 55 years, residing in Port Harcourt were randomly selected via a cross sectional prospective study. The following haematological parameters were determined by the indicated methods: haematocrit (Hct) was determined using Hawksley micro-capillary centrifugation, haemoglobin concentration (Hbc) was determined using the cyanmethaemoglobin method, red blood cell count and white blood cell count were both determined manually using the improved Neubauer counting chamber, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were calculated from the appropriate haematological parameters; erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was determined using the Westergren method.
Results: The reference values, modes and ranges of all haematological parameters determined are presented. The mean values of haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count, white blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) were found to be significantly higher in male subjects; while the mean values of mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and ESR were found to be significantly higher in female subjects (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The present study reports reference values of basic haematological parameters for healthy adult residents of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Significant gender variations possibly exist in the basic haematological parameters of the population under investigation.


Port Harcourt Medical Journal Vol. 1(1) September 2006: 25-28