Hematocrit in a child is elevated - what does this mean in diagnosis?

If you carefully consider the blood test, it can be noted that it indicates the hematocrit number. The level of the hematocrit indicates how much in the blood there are red corpuscles called erythrocytes. They play a major role in the human body, as, first of all, enrich all tissues with oxygen and various nutrients.

When the results of the analysis show that the hematocrit is elevated, then, most likely, there are deviations in the functioning of the organism. The lowered hematocrit is practically not dangerous, unlike the raised, therefore it is necessary to concern more attentively to last changes of a blood. For the attending physician, a blood test is important, since he can determine not only the presence of the disease, but also the severity of its course.

For what and how is the analysis performed

So, the hematocrit number can be calculated from the blood analysis. To do this, the blood is collected in a special tube from the glass and begins its centrifugation for a certain time. As a rule, heavy elements as a result of this drop (namely erythrocytes), and the plasma floats upward.

There are divisions in the test tube, according to which the number of red bodies in the body is determined. When an increased or decreased hematocrit is detected, the analysis is recorded as a percentage. Such an analysis is done in a conventional clinical laboratory.

The norm in the child

Throughout life, the norm of the hematocrit in a person can vary, especially in children:

1. In a child who has just been born, the norm can range from 45% to 63%.
2. Up to three months at the kid this level drops a little and reaches already as much as 44%.
3. Up to a year the level of hematocrit should drop to 35%.
4. Up to ten years, a child's hematocrit should not exceed 34%.

What is the deviation from the norm?

When the hematocrit is increased in a child, parents should pay attention to this problem, as this usually indicates a serious disease, although sometimes it is also associated with physiological changes.

If the hematocrit rises, the blood of the child becomes thick and viscous. This is due to the fact that the number of red blood cells increases. Such a condition can be dangerous for any person, because it can provoke the appearance of blood clots.

Some parents worry and wonder if the hematocrit is elevated, what does it mean, and how should it be normalized? But we must remember that if the increase is 10% in a child under one year, then most likely the cause is hidden in the physiological development of the baby, and there is no reason for the experience.

Symptoms of abnormalities

If the hematocrit in a teenager is lowered, then this can lead to serious health problems. As a result of a reduced number of red blood cells, the amount of oxygen supplied to the organs decreases, and this, in turn, leads to a violation of the acid-base balance.

The child as a result of this feels weak, will quickly become tired, he has complaints of heart palpitations and shortness of breath. Also, a teenager can complain of constant dizziness, and in some cases he may show nausea.

To establish the exact reason why this happens, only a doctor will be able to, and he will also prescribe medications that can restore the level of hematocrit.

The reasons for which hematocrit may increase

It may be that the hematocrit is elevated in a teenager or a baby if the analysis has been collected incorrectly. For example, a child before drinking blood for a long time did not drink water. In this case, it can become thick. This is also the case when the baby's body as a result of the disease suffers from dehydration during poisoning and vomiting or at high body temperature.

The increase in hematocrit may be associated with pathological conditions that caused an increase in the concentration of red blood cells. That is, when the hematocrit is elevated in a child, the reasons can be hidden in such ailments:

1. Kidney diseases that can be congenital or acquired during life. This includes polycystosis, the development of neoplasms, hydronephrosis.
2. Pathologies in the respiratory system, inflammatory process in the lungs and bronchi.
3. Received injuries and varying degrees of burns.
4. Heart diseases. They can be congenital, and can be acquired due to heavy physical exertion.
5. Blood problems. Leukemia.
6. Problems in the gastrointestinal tract.
7. Asymptomatic oxygen starvation.
8. Taking some medications for a long time (lead to an increase in hematocrit can not only antibiotics).

Only the doctor can determine the exact cause. Based on the results of the analysis, he will suggest other diagnostic methods for identifying the disease, which led to an increase in hematocrit in the child.

What is the risk of increased hematocrit in children

If the hematocrit in a child is elevated, it leads to a thickening of the blood, which subsequently leads to the formation of blood clots. And, as we have already mentioned, the phenomenon described can be a consequence of serious diseases associated with the circulatory system, the formation of tumors, both benign and malignant, with the inflammatory process in the adrenal glands, lungs and kidneys. An increase in the volume of erythrocytes is also observed in peritonitis. Although the hematocrit may increase in itself, if the child is high in the mountains, and also if it is a long time exposed to sunlight.

How to treat elevated hematocrit in a child

Some parents immediately begin to panic if they learn from the doctor that the child has hematocrit elevated. What does it mean? Do not immediately worry, in order to accurately determine the cause of the deviations, the doctor will offer to conduct another whole chain of tests. And as soon as the cause is established, treatment will be prescribed, if necessary.

First of all, in such cases it is recommended that the patient provide proper nutrition, which includes a large amount of vitaminized food. If you follow all the prescriptions of the doctor, then soon the normal level of red blood cells will be restored.

The doctor will determine exactly how much the hematocrit is increased in a child, and if these indices are insignificant, and the results of other analyzes do not show any deviations, this may be due to physiological development.

When hematocrit changes are not harmful to the health of the child

As we have already said, not always high hematocrit is associated with pathologies, sometimes it just happens to be a temporary phenomenon. For example, if a person drinks a little water a day, then, in the end, the blood can thicken. Specialists therefore recommend that parents monitor the regime and nutrition of their baby. After all, if you eliminate the primary problems, then soon the blood will return to normal. And it is recommended to take tests more than once, and several, with a short break.

It should be noted that children who live in the mountains, because of lack of oxygen, constantly suffer from increased hematocrit, but they have a gradual adaptation, so, as a rule, this increase does not bear any consequences for the body.

If the hematocrit in a child is elevated, then it is necessary to pay attention to the problem in order to exclude possible serious diseases that can be prevented if the treatment is started on time. A child with elevated hematocrit will complain of frequent dizziness and even nausea. Often you can observe his state of "stupefying", difficulty breathing and numbness of the limbs.

How quickly the hematocrit will recover will depend on what led to its increase. For example, if a child is burned, the described indicator will be normalized after the healing process begins, if the cause disappears in other, more serious diseases, then the whole body should be examined and medication should be performed.