MCH full form in medical term is Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin. This is a measurement that determines the average amount of hemoglobin available in a single red blood cell. The MCH measurement is part of the CBC (Complete blood count) test, a routine laboratory test to evaluate a person’s overall health.
It is measured by dividing the overall amount of hemoglobin in the blood sample by the number of red blood cells available in the sample. The result obtained is expressed in picograms (pg), which is a unit of measurement for the amount of a substance in the body.
The MCH value can help doctors diagnose and monitor various conditions related to the blood, such as anemia, hemoglobinopathies, and thalassemia. Hemoglobinopathies are a combination of genetic disorders that negatively harm the structure of hemoglobin, causing it to function abnormally.
Thalassemia is a hereditary blood disorder that affects the production of hemoglobin, leading to anemia. In individuals with anemia, the MCH value is usually lower than the normal range, indicating a decrease in the amount of hemoglobin in each red blood cell.