Category: Medicine by the Numbers

By Karen Chang Kan, MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

Blood transfusions are one of the most common interventions seen in the inpatient setting. While hanging a unit of blood appears simple enough in day-to-day practice, many of us forget what this simple …

By Michael Ford, MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

  

                                             

2.65 x 10^[13]
# of erythrocytes in circulation, assuming Hematocrit 45%^[1]

 
 

 
 

120
Lifespan in days of an erythrocyte^[2]

 
 

 
 

2.5 million
# of new erythrocytes produced each second to replace dying cells^†

 
 

 
 

5.3 …

By Michael Ford, MD

Faculty Peer Reviewed

^{“Blood Count”}

2.65 x 10^[13]
# of erythrocytes in circulation, assuming Hematocrit 45%^[1]

120
Lifespan in days of an …