An individual who becomes dehydrated will have an elevated hematocrit. Explain how dehydration leads to an elevated hematocrit although blood cell production is normal.

What will be an ideal response?


Hematocrit = packed red blood cell volume/total blood volume. A dehydrated person will have a lower plasma volume, but red blood cell volume will remain constant. This results in an elevated hematocrit and the condition known as relative polycythemia.

Anatomy & Physiology

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