Red Blood Cells (RBCs)

• Red blood cells (RBCs), or erythrocytes, account for a little than half of total blood volume
• The percentage of whole blood containing formed elements is called the hematocrit
• Whole blood contains about 1000 times more red blood cells than white blood cells
• Hematocrit values are reported as the volume of packed red cells (VPRC), or the packed cell volume (PCV)