Mean corpuscular hemoglobin

Also known as MCH

derived index · no single molecular formula

LOINC 785-6 code verified whole_blood pg

What this substance is

An arithmetic result, not a substance: the average amount of haemoglobin in one red cell.

How it is calculated

MCH (pg) = haemoglobin (g/dL) x 10 / RBC count (10^6/uL)

Derived from hemoglobin, rbc_count.

Reference ranges

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This open edition shows a range only where a public-domain or openly licensed source states one, and none does for this marker yet. Compare your result with the range printed on your own lab report.

How it is measured

In practice

MCH comes from the same blood sample as a complete blood count, taken from a vein. It is not a separate test. The lab machine works it out from the hemoglobin and red blood cell count. No special preparation is needed.

MCH is a calculated red cell index reported with the CBC on the same K2 EDTA whole-blood sample; the analyser computes it from directly measured haemoglobin and RBC count, so interferences on Hgb and RBC carry through. No special preparation is required.

Where: laboratory

Sources: NHANES 2019-2020 Laboratory Procedure Manual: Complete Blood Count (Coulter DxH 800), CDC/NCHS; RBC indices -- MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, U.S. National Library of Medicine cited · not yet checked by a person

In the lab

calculation

Calculated from haemoglobin and RBC count

MCH is the average amount of hemoglobin inside one red blood cell. The machine gets it by dividing the total hemoglobin by the number of red cells.

Mean corpuscular haemoglobin is calculated on impedance analysers as MCH (pg) = HGB (g/L) / RBC (10^12/L); some optical analysers instead derive it from forward light scatter of individual red cells.

Read by: None directly; derived from measured haemoglobin and RBC count

Why labs disagree: MCH is not measured on its own on impedance analysers; it is calculated from haemoglobin and the RBC count, so it inherits any method or calibration differences in those two results, and optical analysers derive it a different way. Population also matters: a reference-interval study in Bangladesh found its MCH interval differed substantially from one reported for a Pakistani population, and called for country-specific intervals.

Sources: Girard S et al. Breaking Free From MCHC Interferences? French-Speaking Cellular Haematology Group (GFHC) Review of Causes, Rising Trends and Practical Solutions. Int J Lab Hematol 2025 (PMC12426809, open access); Haq MA et al. Defining Reference Intervals for Complete Blood Count and Micronutrient Parameters in Urban Bangladeshi Population. Biomolecules 2026 (PMC13406479, open access) cited · not yet checked by a person

What it reports on

erythrocyte structural component of
MCH is the average amount of hemoglobin in each red blood cell.

Associated symptoms

Conditions this marker features in

When low

low Carrier of beta-thalassaemia · supportive
Low MCH with low MCV is used as a screening flag: a guideline used in Indonesia sends people with MCV below 80 fL and MCH below 27 pg for further tests.

Ordered as part of

cbc