Blood Volume

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Abstract
The dynamics of circulation are regulated by numerous mechanisms. One of the many factors that can alter hemeostasis is blood volume, the amount of blood that fills and distends the cardiovascular system. Measuring blood volume serves to establish a possible cause and effect relationship between disorders of circulation and blood volume (persistent hypotension, poor tissue perfusion, hypertension and circulatory overload).1,2 Measuring blood volume has diagnostic applications—to differentiate between relative and true blood disorders (relative anemia due to expansion of plasma volume, relative polycythemia resulting from dehydration and hemoconcentration). A 29-year-old woman was admitted for removal of a benign thyroid nodule. Her hematocrit level was 32% and hemoglobin value 9.8 gm/100 cc. She related a history of anemia being treated for the past two years. Blood volume measurement showed a normal red blood cell (RBC) volume for her weight and a marked increase in plasma volume. The information obtained from

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