Over view of CBC blood test
Complete Blood Count – It measures levels of all different type of blood cells in blood.
It includes:
- The count of White blood cells (WBC’s or leukocytes)
- The count of Red blood cells (RBC’s or erythrocytes)
- The count of Platelets(or thrombocytes)
It also includes in it:
- Levels of haemoglobin.
- Haematocrit value –the percentage count red blood cells in your blood.
Each type of blood cells has its own role in keeping our body healthy. The red blood cells carry oxygen, the white blood cells fight infections and platelets help to clot your blood when any sort of injury happens. In the red blood cells itself is found a protein known as Haemoglobin that carries oxygen to your whole body.
If the complete blood count shows an abnormal increase or decrease in cell count it may point out to an underlying medical condition. But furthermore testing is required to find out the root cause of such a medical condition.
What is the interpretation of CBC blood test?
A low number of WBCs is called leukopenia. Neutrophils are one type of WBC. They are important for fighting infections. Normal range –4,500 cells per microliter (4.5 × 109/L) . A count less than that is below normal is a pathological condition.
A low RBC is called anaemia. It maybe caused due to infection or iron deficiency. Normal range is 4.7 for men, 4.2 for women, and 4.1 for children. A count below than normal is called a pathological condition.
A low platelet count calls for trouble in stopping bleeding after an injury. Normal range is 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. A count below normal level is called a pathological condition.
Normal haemoglobin levels vary from person to person based on age and gender. For men normal range is 14-18g/dland for women 12-16g/dl. If you have lower than normal haemoglobin level, your doctor may order another test that reveals iron-deficiency anaemia.Since dangerously low haemoglobin level may prove fatal and may lead to death i.e below 7g/dl. Dangerously low haemoglobin level will be required to be transfused with PRBC (packed red blood cells) to restore normal haemoglobin levels.
A below normal range haematocrit value indicates the person has less number of red blood cells and it is an aneamic condition.
Complete blood count with ESR – In this type of test along with the complete blood count ESR (Eythrocyte sedimentation rate) is also measured. ESR indicates if you have any sort of inflammation in your body. Inflammation is your immune system’s response to infection, injury and other conditions like immune system disorders and cancer. This test alone is not enough to diagnose the inflammatory disease, but can help a long way to your doctor to monitor the progress of your inflammatory disease.
Complete blood count with Differential – In this type of test along with complete blood count the white blood celss differential is done. The wbc’s differential is a breakdown of amount of each of five different kinds of WBC’s.
- Neutrophils –they make up the greatest perecentage of WBC’s. They are produced by bone marrow and fight a wide range of inflammatory and infectious diseases. The normal range of neutrophils is between 2,500 and 7,000 neutrophils per microliter of blood. An abnormal count that is above 7,000 or below 2,500 is a pathological condition.
- Lymphocytes –they are primarily found in lymph system and fight bacteria and other pathogens. They make up 40% to 20% of white blood cells.The normal range of lymphocytes is between 1,000 and 4,800 lymphocytes in every 1 microliter of blood and in children 3,000 and 9,500 lymphocytes in every 1 microliter of blood. An abnormal range is a pathological condition.
- Monocytes – they work in conjunction with neutrophils to fight infections and also remove damaged or dead cells from blood. They make up 2% and 8% of your white blood cell count and hence 200 to 800 monocytes per microliter of blood in healthy adults.
- Eosinophils –they are activated in response to allergies and some infections. A range of less than 500 cells per microliter (cells/mcL) is considered normal.
- Basophils –help in early identification of infections. They make up 0 .5% to 1% of your white blood cell count and hence about zero to 300 basophils per microliter of blood in healthy adults. Basophil outside this range may be a sign you have If test result shows a high basophil count, your provider might perform a physical examination and additional tests to find out what’s causing basophilia.
Complete Blood Count test is available at GenX Diagnostics, Hauz Khas. GenX is premiere Blood Testing Lab located in South Delhi area. A wide range of blood tests are available at most reasonable prices. Free home sample collection facility is available. CBC blood report is provided same day of sample collection.