An instrument printout reveals an RDW of 33. Which of the following would best correlate with those results?
A) The presence of a dimorphic cell population on the PB smear
B) The presence of marked polychromasia on the PB smear
C) The presence of spherocytes on the PB smear
D) The presence of macro-ovalocytes on the PB smear

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The RDW (Red Cell Distribution Width) measures the variation in the size of red blood cells. An RDW of 33 is significantly elevated, indicating a wide variation in red blood cell sizes. This is best correlated with the presence of a dimorphic cell population on the peripheral blood (PB) smear, as it suggests the coexistence of two distinct populations of red blood cells, which would result in a high RDW.

An Instrument Printout Reveals an RDW of 33