A blood test that measures the number of red blood cells (RBCs). The RBC count is almost always ordered as part of the complete blood count ( CBC ) test. RBCs transport hemoglobin which, in turn, transports oxygen. The amount of oxygen received by tissue is dependent on the amount and function of RBCs and hemoglobin. RBCs normally survive for about 120 days in the blood; they are then removed by phagocytic cells in the spleen or Kupffer cells in the liver.

Alternative Names

Erythrocyte count; Red blood cell count