MCH
What it measures, and what changes the number.
MCH, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, is the average amount of hemoglobin carried inside a single red blood cell. It is not measured directly: the analyzer calculates it by dividing the hemoglobin concentration by the red blood cell count.
It is one of the red cell indices in the complete blood count and is read alongside MCV (cell size), MCHC (hemoglobin concentration within cells), RDW (variation in cell size), hemoglobin and the red cell count. Together these indices describe what the red cells look like, and iron studies are often added when the indices are reviewed.
The sample is taken in an EDTA tube and no fasting is required. Because it is calculated, anything that interferes with the hemoglobin measurement, such as a very fatty (lipemic) sample or a very high white cell count, can affect it. Labs may print it as Hemoglobina corpuscular media (HCM) or Hemoglobina corpuscular mitja (HCM).
Often read alongside: MCV, MCHC, Hemoglobin, Red blood cells, RDW