what is pcv test

A PCV (Packed Cell Volume) test is a blood test that measures the proportion of red blood cells in the blood. It is also known as a hematocrit test. The test is done as part of a complete blood count (CBC) and is used to diagnose or evaluate anemia (low levels of red blood cells), dehydration (low body fluids or blood volume), or polycythemia (high levels of red blood cells). The PCV test estimates the portion of blood made up of cells and can measure how much of the blood consists of cells. If the PCV results show a reading of 50%, it denotes that 50 ml of cells is present in exactly 100 ml of blood. A lower number of the PCV means that the red blood cell count is less, which can be due to many reasons such as blood loss, cell destruction, and less bone marrow production. An increased PCV generally means that the person is dehydrated, and there is a higher number of red blood cell production. The normal range of PCV is 38.8% to 50% for men and 34.9% to 44.5% for women.