Today I'll cover the Complete Blood Count (CBC) -- the one you always hear them ordering on Grey's Anatomy and ER. This is the most common blood test and measures your white blood cell, red blood cell, and platelet counts to flag for any abnormalities outside the normal range. The CBC tells you and your doctor a great deal about your current health state and can highlight anything that requires attention. The CBC can help detect blood diseases and disorders, such as anemia, infections, clotting problems, blood cancers, and immune system disorders.
A complete blood count may be done to:
- Find the cause of symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, fever, bruising, or weight loss.
- Find anemia.
- See how much blood has been lost if there is bleeding.
- Diagnose polycythemia.
- Find an infection.
- Diagnose diseases of the blood, such as leukemia.
- Check how the body is dealing with some types of drug or radiation treatment.
- Check how abnormal bleeding is affecting the blood cells and counts.
- Screen for high and low values before a surgery.
- See if there are too many or too few of certain types of cells. This may help find other conditions, such as too many eosinophils may mean an allergy or asthma is present.
| Code | Description | Normal Range* | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| WBC | White Blood Cell (WBC) count measures the actual number of white blood cells per volume of blood. White blood cells protect the body against infection. If an infection develops, white blood cells attack and destroy the bacteria, virus, or other organism causing it. White blood cells are bigger than red blood cells but fewer in number. When a person has a bacterial infection, the number of white cells rises very quickly. The number of white blood cells is sometimes used to find an infection or to see how the body is dealing with cancer treatment. The major types of white blood cells are neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils. Immature neutrophils, called band neutrophils, are also part of this test. Each type of cell plays a different role in protecting the body. The numbers of each one of these types of white blood cells give important information about the immune system. Too many or too few of the different types of white blood cells can help find an infection, an allergic or toxic reaction to medicines or chemicals, and many conditions, such as leukemia. | 3.8-10.8 | 10^3/microL |
| RBC | Red blood cell (RBC) count measures the actual number of red blood cells per volume of blood. Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. They also carry carbon dioxide back to the lungs so it can be exhaled. If the RBC count is low (anemia), the body may not be getting the oxygen it needs. If the count is too high (a condition called polycythemia), there is a chance that the red blood cells will clump together and block tiny blood vessels (capillaries). This also makes it hard for your red blood cells to carry oxygen. | 3.6-5.4 | 10^6/microL |
| HGB | Hemoglobin (HGB) measures the amount of oxygen-carrying protein in the blood. The hemoglobin molecule fills up the red blood cells. It carries oxygen and gives the blood cell its red color. The hemoglobin test measures the amount of hemoglobin in blood and is a good measure of the blood's ability to carry oxygen throughout the body. | 12.0-16.0 | g/dL |
| HCT | Hematocrit (HCT) measures the percentage of red blood cells in a given volume of whole blood. This test measures the amount of space (volume) red blood cells take up in the blood. The value is given as a percentage of red blood cells in a volume of blood. For example, a hematocrit of 38 means that 38% of the blood's volume is made of red blood cells. | 36.0-48.0 | % |
| MCV | Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) measures the average size of your RBCs. | 82-101 | fL |
| MCH | The Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) value measures the amount of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin in an average red blood cell. | 26.0-34.0 | pg |
| MCHC | Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) measures the concentration of hemoglobin in an average red blood cell. These numbers help in the diagnosis of different types of anemia. | 32.0-36.0 | g/dL |
| RDW | Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) imeasures the variation in the size and shape of the RBC population. | 0.0-14.4 | % |
| PLT | The platelet count (PLT) is the number of platelets in a given volume of blood. Platelets (thrombocytes) are the smallest type of blood cell. They are important in blood clotting. When bleeding occurs, the platelets swell, clump together, and form a sticky plug that helps stop the bleeding. Both increases and decreases can point to abnormal conditions of excess bleeding or clotting. If there are too few platelets, uncontrolled bleeding may be a problem. If there are too many platelets, there is a chance of a blood clot forming in a blood vessel. Also, platelets may be involved in hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). | 140-440 | 10^3/microL |
| MPV | Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) is a measurement of the average size of platelets. New platelets are larger, and an increased MPV occurs when increased numbers of platelets are being produced. MPV gives your doctor information about platelet production in your bone marrow. | 0.0-99.9 | fL |
If your test results fall outside of the normal range, it may be an indication that something is wrong.
| Code | High Values Indicate | Low Values Indicate |
|---|---|---|
| WBC | Conditions that cause high WBC values include infection, inflammation, damage to body tissues (such as a heart attack), severe physical or emotional stress (such as a fever, injury, or surgery), burns, kidney failure, lupus, tuberculosis (TB), rheumatoid arthritis, malnutrition, leukemia, and diseases such as cancer. The use of corticosteroids, underactive adrenal glands, thyroid gland problems, certain medicines, or removal of the spleen can also cause high WBC values. | Conditions that can lower WBC values include chemotherapy and reactions to other medicines, aplastic anemia, viral infections, malaria, alcoholism, AIDS, lupus, or Cushing's syndrome. A large spleen can lower the WBC count. |
| RBC | If the RBC count is too high (a condition called polycythemia), there is a chance that the red blood cells will clump together and block tiny blood vessels (capillaries). This also makes it hard for your red blood cells to carry oxygen. Conditions that cause high RBC values include smoking, exposure to carbon monoxide, long-term lung disease, kidney disease, some cancers, certain forms of heart disease, alcoholism, liver disease, a rare disorder of the bone marrow (polycythemia vera), or a rare disorder of hemoglobin that binds oxygen tightly. Conditions that affect the body's water content can also cause high RBC values. These conditions include dehydration, diarrhea or vomiting, excessive sweating, severe burns, and the use of diuretics. The lack of fluid in the body makes the RBC volume look high; this is sometimes called spurious polycythemia. | Anemia lowers RBC values. Anemia can be caused by heavy menstrual bleeding, stomach ulcers, colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, some tumors, Addison's disease, thalassemia, lead poisoning, sickle cell disease, or reactions to some chemicals and medicines. A low RBC value may also be seen if the spleen has been taken out. A lack of folic acid or vitamin B12 can also cause anemia, such as pernicious anemia, which is a problem with absorbing vitamin B12. The RBC indices value and a blood smear may help find the cause of anemia. If the RBC count is low (anemia), the body may not be getting the oxygen it needs. |
| HGB | Mirrors RBC - Hematocrit and hemoglobin values are the two major tests that show if anemia or polycythemia is present. | Mirrors RBC - Hematocrit and hemoglobin values are the two major tests that show if anemia or polycythemia is present. |
| HCT | Mirrors RBC - Hematocrit and hemoglobin values are the two major tests that show if anemia or polycythemia is present. | Mirrors RBC - Hematocrit and hemoglobin values are the two major tests that show if anemia or polycythemia is present. |
| MCV | The MCV is elevated when your RBCs are larger than normal (macrocytic), for example in anemia caused by vitamin, folate, or B12 deficiency. | When the MCV is decreased, your RBCs are smaller than normal (microcytic) as is seen in iron deficiency anemia or thalassemias. |
| MCH | Mirrors MCV Results | Mirrors MCV Results |
| MCHC | Increased MCHC values (hyperchromia) are seen in conditions where the hemoglobin is abnormally concentrated inside the red cells, such as in burn patients and hereditary spherocytosis, a relatively rare congenital disorder. | Decreased MCHC values (hypochromia) are seen in conditions where the hemoglobin is abnormally diluted inside the red cells, such as in iron deficiency anemia and in thalassemia. |
| RDW | Increased RDW indicates mixed population of RBCs; immature RBCs tend to be larger. | |
| PLT | High platelet values may be seen with bleeding, iron deficiency, some diseases like cancer, or problems with the bone marrow. If there are too many platelets, there is a chance of a blood clot forming in a blood vessel. Also, platelets may be involved in hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). | Low platelet values can occur in pregnancy or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and other conditions that affect how platelets are made or that destroy platelets. A large spleen can lower the platelet count. If there are too few platelets, uncontrolled bleeding may be a problem |
| MPV | An increased MPV occurs when increased numbers of platelets are being produced. MPV gives your doctor information about platelet production in your bone marrow. | Vary with platelet production; younger platelets are larger than older ones. |
- a little lupie -
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