Haemoglobin (Hb)

Testing Laboratories

Department

Haematology

Delphic Registration Code (Alpha Code)

FBC

Test Code (Numeric Code)

1000

Laboratory Handling

Sample Stability

6 hours at room temperature, 24 hours if refrigerated

Synonyms

Hb

Turnaround Time

30 minutes

Specimen Type

• Whole Blood

Specimen Requirements

Tube/Container Type:

Preferred

• EDTA (Lavender Cap)

Preferred Sample Volume (ml)

3

Paediatric Specimen Requirements

Tube/Container Type:

Preferred

• EDTA (Lavender Cap)

Minimum Sample Volume (ml)

0.5

Test Method

Sysmex

Uncertainty of Measurement

2%

Ferrous iron (Fe2+) combines with protoporphyrin in the red cell mitochondria to form haem molecules. These combine with 4 globin chains, made on the polyribosomes, to form the haemoglobin molecule. Each red cell contains approximately 640 million haemoglobin molecules. Haemoglobin carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues in aterial blood and returns carbon dioxide to the lungs in venous blood.

In the laboratory, the red cells are lysed and the released haemoglobin converted to a stable Sodium Lauryl Sulphate-Haemoglobin unit in the Haemoglobin Channel of Sysmex analysers. The haemoglobin is measured photometrically using an optical filter at 555 nm. Very lipaemic samples and rarely, samples with high levels of abnormal plasma proteins, can falsely elevate the haemoglobin level. In these cases the haemoglobin is measured manually using a Hemocue, which measures azidemethaemoglobin at two different wavelengths (570 and 880 nm).

For further information about low haemoglobin levels see "Anaemia"

For further information about raised haemoglobin levels see "Haematocrit interpretation"

Contact Information