THE RELATION BETWEEN VISCOSITY OF THE BLOOD AND THE RELATIVE VOLUME OF ERYTHROCYTES (HEMATOCRIT VALUE)

Abstract

The relationship between viscosity of the blood and hematocrit value, the latter in the range of about 15-50%, can be well expressed by linear formulas for which equations are given. For values of hematocrit higher than about 60%, found in patients suffering from polycythemia vera, the viscosity was higher than the values given by these formulas. If relative viscosity is measured as the ratio of viscosity of the whole blood to viscosity of the serum, the relationship of relative viscosity to hematocrit does not agree with the formula of Einstein. The observations of Nygaard, Wilder and Berkson do not agree with the hyperbolic formulation of Hess.