Introduction
The Complete Blood Count (CBC) is the most common test ordered by doctors. It is also called “A Complete Blood Count With Differential”. It is more than just checking the red cell count, white cell count, and platelet count. The CBC is considered the most comprehensive of all blood tests.
Complete Blood Count, or CBC, blood test provides a complete assessment of the health of your blood and is a crucial test in a complete physical exam. This blog will look at the process of a CBC test, the information it provides, and what you can do to optimize your CBC test results.
It measures the amounts of red and white blood cells, as well as platelets, hemoglobin, and other elements such as lymphocytes and monocytes, in a given volume of blood. A CBC is a frequently ordered test. It is used to assess a person’s overall health and can indicate a variety of conditions, infections, and diseases.
What is a Complete Blood Count?
Complete Blood count (CBC) is a type of blood test that is used to diagnose or identify many medical conditions. It is a blood test that is used to evaluate a person’s overall health and to detect many conditions like infections, anemia, leukemia among others. It measures the number of Red Blood Cells (RBCs), White Blood Cells (WBCs), Platelet count, amount of hemoglobin- the substance in the blood that carries oxygen, hematocrit – the amount of whole blood that is made up of red blood cells.
How to prepare for the Complete Blood Count test?
There is no specific or special preparation necessary for this blood test. You can eat and drink normally before going for a complete blood count blood test. It can be done during any part of the day without any kind of fasting needed. You only need to fast if any additional tests are also being conducted along with this blood test.
How is CBC done?
For a complete blood count blood test, a lab technician of your selected laboratory will take a sample of your blood by injecting a needle into a vein in your arm, normally at the bend in your elbow. This blood sample is then sent to the laboratory for investigation. There is no need to rest after this test, you can return to your usual activities quite immediately (unless you are already too ill).
What does a CBC measure?
The CBC test measures the following:-
- White blood cells – measures the amount of infection-fighting white blood cells in your blood
- Blood cells
- Platelets – measures the number of special cells that help the blood clot
- Hemoglobin – measures the amount of oxygen-carrying red blood cells in your blood.
- Hematocrit – the amount of whole blood that is made up of red blood cells.
Measuring these are vital for different aspects of your health. For example, your healthcare provider will want to check your CBC to see if you have a high white blood cell count. If your white blood cell count is high it might mean that you are suffering from an infection or disease that needs treatment.
What are normal CBC Levels?
The normal complete blood count results for adults are:
| Red blood cell count | Female: 3.92-5.13 trillion cells/L
(3.92-5.13 million cells/mcL) |
| Male: 4.35-5.65 trillion cells/L*
(4.35-5.65 million cells/mcL**) |
|
| White blood cell count | 3.4-9.6 billion cells/L
(3,400 to 9,600 cells/mcL) |
| Hematocrit | Female: 35.5-44.9 percent |
| Male: 38.3-48.6 percent | |
| Platelet count | Female: 157-371 billion/L
(157,000 to 371,000/mcL) |
| Male: 135-317 billion/L
(135,000 to 317,000/mcL) |
|
| Hemoglobin | Female: 11.6-15 grams/dL
(116-150 grams/L) |
| Male: 13.2-16.6 grams/dL***
(132-166 grams/L) |
* L = liter ** mcL = microliter *** dL = deciliter
What Else Might My CBC Tell Me?
In addition to routine checkups and overall health a CBC can be prescribed for:-
- Diagnosing a blood disease, infection, immune system disorder, or any other medical condition.
- To help keep track of an existing blood disorder.
- Red cell distribution width (RDW)- How much your red blood cells vary in size.
- Reticulocyte count- This is the number of new red blood cells in your body.
- Mean platelet volume (MPV)- This is the average size of the platelets in your blood.
- Platelet distribution width (PDW)- How much your platelets vary in size.
- White blood cell differential- There are five different types of white blood cells- basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils. This test will measure how many of each kind you have.
What diseases can a CBC detect?
- Abnormal red blood cell, hemoglobin, or hematocrit levels may be due to anemia, iron deficiency, or heart disease.
- Low white cell count may be due to an autoimmune disorder, bone marrow disorder, or cancer.
- High white cell count may be due to an infection or reaction to certain medication.
What do the results mean?
If any of your red blood cell count, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, platelet counts are irregular, it does not necessarily mean a medical problem that needs treatment. Even changes in diet, activity level, medications, a women’s menstrual cycle, and other factors can affect the results of your complete blood test. Have a conversation about it with your health care provider to learn what your results mean.
Conclusion The CBC test is a routine blood test that can help diagnose a number of different conditions, from anemia to diseases that affect the blood. In this post, we explored what a CBC is, how it is performed, what the results mean, and how it can help diagnose a number of different conditions.
The Complete Blood Count (CBC) is part of the routine blood work that is ordered by doctors during a physical exam. It is used to check for various types of anemia, infections, and other abnormalities. We hope that you enjoyed this blog post and found it useful!
Unipath specialty laboratory provides home sample collection for your convenience and a range of blood tests including the complete blood count (CBC) test, please contact us at +91 (79) 4900 6800, or visit https://www.unipath.in/.
