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Women's Services Encyclopedia

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

The complete blood count is probably one of the most frequently performed lab tests. It is performed from a standard venipuncture specimen. The CBC can help the physician diagnose a large number of conditions, and aid in the ultimate diagnosis of many other problems:

  • Leukemia — a white blood cell disorder
  • Lymphoma — a white blood cell disorder
  • Anemia — low hemoglobin and red cell count
  • Thrombocytopenia — a low platelet count secondary to drug side effect, vitamin deficiency, or bone marrow disease
  • Thrombocytopenia — a low platelet count secondary to drug side effect, vitamin deficiency, or bone marrow disease
  • Infection — an increase in white blood cells
  • General Inflammation — an increase in white blood cells
  • Neutropenia — a low white blood cell count

Red Blood Cell Count (Normal Values)

  • Hemoglobin (grams/deciliter): 12-16 (Women) and 14-18 (Men)
  • Hematocrit (expressed as a percent of the blood volume that is occupied by red blood cells):
    Men 40% to 54%
    Women 37% to 47%
    Children 31% to 41%
    Newborns 44% to 64%
  • Red Blood Cell Count: 4.6-6.2 million per cubic millimeter in Men and 4.2-5.4 million per cubic millimeter in Women.

Red Blood Cell Indices

The following red blood cell indices are determined to help diagnose the cause of anemia.

  • Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) — This is a measurement of the size of an average cell. It is useful in the evaluation of anemia. Normal values should be in the range of 80-96 cubic microns (cu u).
  • Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) — This index describes the weight of hemoglobin in an average red cell. Normal values should be in the range of 27-31 picograms (pg).
  • Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) — This index describes the amount of hemoglobin in an average red cell. Normal values should be in the range of 32-36%.

White Blood Cell Count

  • White Blood Cell Count: 4,500 - 11,000 (per cubic millimeter). Slightly higher counts are normal in children.

Causes of Low White Blood Cell Counts (Neutropenia)

  • Aplastic anemia
  • Leukemia
  • Myelodysplastic syndromes
  • Drug induced (chemotherapeutic agents, chloramphenicol, penicillins, phenothiazines, and anti-inflammatory agents)
  • Nutritional deficiency (vitamin B12 and folate)
  • Infection (TB, measles, mononucleosis, viral hepatitis, malaria, histoplasmosis, and HIV
  • Autoimmune disease (lupus and rheumatoid arthritis)
  • Hemodialysis
  • Cardiopulmonary bypass
  • Overwhelming sepsis (bacterial infection in the bloodstream)

White Blood Cell Differential

(percentages of the different types of white blood cells that comprise the total white blood cell count):

  • Neutrophils 47% to 77% (elevated in infection, inflammation, and stress)
  • Bands 0% to 3% (elevated in some cases of bacterial infection)
  • Lymphocytes 16% to 43% (elevated in some cases of viral infection and some leukemias)
  • Monocytes 0.5% to 10% (elevated in some viral and fungal infections, lupus, cancer, and tuberculosis)
  • Eosinophils 0.3% to 7% (elevated in allergic conditions, some cancers, some leukemias, and autoimmune disease)
  • Basophils 0.3% to 2% (elevated in some leukemias, some cancers, and hypothyroidism)

Platelet Count

  • Platelet Count: 150,000-400,000 per cubic millimeter are considered a normal range.

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