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Complete Blood Count Test

A Complete Blood Count (CDC) or the Full Blood Count test is a complete set of laboratory tests used to evaluate a person's overall health. This can be done by looking at the different components of a person's blood that can be used to detect a wide range of disorders and infections. The analysis is done in an automated haematology analyzer for the size and count, while several manual tests can be done to confirm abnormalities.

The test analyses server components, including the White Blood cells, Red Blood cells, and platelets, along with the concentration of hematocrit and haemoglobin. With the noting of abnormal increases or decreases, it is easy to determine underlying conditions and diagnose symptoms.

Why does someone get a CBC test?

One can get recommended a test as a part of their regular check-up for understanding their general health. The test can identify and help screen any suspected disorder or identify any underlying issue. If someone already has an existing medical condition and experiences other symptoms or an aggravated state of the current manifestation.

The CBC test can also help identify the cause of the disease or suspected infection and helps confirm the diagnosis. A complete blood count can help monitor the issue and go from there accordingly for any disorder that affects blood count.

For patients undergoing treatment or taking up medication that can alter blood cell functioning or counts, the test can be used to detect and observe abnormalities. The CBC test can also help identify the cause of the disease or suspected infection and helps confirm the diagnosis.

A complete blood count can help monitor the issue and go from there accordingly for any disorder that affects blood count. For patients undergoing treatment or taking up medication that can alter blood cell functioning or counts, the test can be used to detect and observe abnormalities.

Uses of CBCs

  • A complete blood count can indicate changes in RBCs, haemoglobin, and hematocrit for deficiencies like anaemia caused by lack of iron, vitamins, or some other influencing condition. Excess count of these RBCs can show an apparent condition like heart disease.
  • Low white blood cells can be due to autoimmune diseases that affect the production of the bone marrow. Any medication causing such side effects can also be identified. With infection or inflammation, the count can also go up and indicate some immune system disorder.
  • Thrombocytopenia is the low count of platelets, and thrombocytosis is the higher count of platelets that can be caused by medical conditions or side effects from treatments or medication.
  • The test can also identify deficiencies like vitamin B12 and folate to identify the average size of red blood cells. The Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) will be higher if the size of RBCs is unusually larger.

A complete blood count test can also help identify Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW), Mean Platelet Volume (MPV), Platelet Distribution Width (PDW), reticulocyte count, and white blood cell differential.

These can tell the amount of Hemoglobin in your red blood cell, the concentration of Hemoglobin in a certain quantity of blood, variation of the size of the RBCs, number of new cells in the body, the average size of platelets, and their variation in size. It can also say the amount of each of the five types of white blood cells.

Average results for an adult

In any CBC test, there'll also be a reference range that is ideal for adults. Reference ranges in general are:

  • Red Blood Cell count: 4.5 million to 5.9 million cells/ microliter (mcL) for men and 4.1 million to 5.1 million cells for women.
  • White Blood Cells: 4,500 to 11,000 cells/ mcL
  • Hemoglobin: 14 to 17.5 grams per deciliter (gm/dL) for men, 12.3 to 15.3 gm/dL for women.
  • Hematocrit: 41.5% to 50.4% for men and 35.9% to 44.6% for women.
  • Mean Corpuscular Volume: 80 to 96.
  • Platelets: 150,000 to 450,000 platelets/mcL.

When do you need a CBC?

As the complete blood count tests identify abnormalities and monitor changes, evaluate overall health, rule out possible conditions and arrive at a conclusion, people who gave any of the following might need a CBC:

  • Bruising, blood clotting, excessive or internal bleeding.
  • Weakness, constant fitness of nausea or dizziness.
  • Fatigue, fever, or fluctuating temperature.
  • Vomiting, irritation, swelling, or inflammation.
  • Fluctuating problems with pressure, pulse, or heart rate.

Even if your physician suspects an infection, notices unusual weight gain or loss, or any abnormal sign of chronic diseases.

The process of getting a CBC

The CBC test is simply a blood extraction. A small amount of blood is extracted and requires no prior preparation or fasting. The test gets finished in a few minutes and requires some processing time, after which a detailed report with comparison.

One notable feature is that men's haemoglobin and RBC count will be higher than that of women due to increased muscle mass. You can now book a test in My City Labs diagnostic centres near you for quality testing and accurate results.

Some common health problems that CBC can identify include anaemia, autoimmune disorders, bone marrow issues, cancer, dehydration, heart diseases, infections, inflammation, and other nutrients deficiencies.

Risks involved in getting a CBC

CBC is a safe process overall and involves minimal risks. Due to the extraction of blood, many people might feel lightheaded. There might be slight bruising or soreness around the area where the needle was pricked. But this should last for just a short period of time. As with anything that includes the insertion of foreign objects like needles, there is a chance of infection in the test site.

The only problem with CBCs is the possibility of an inaccurate result due to an existent medical condition. The presence of certain compounds can also affect the results.

Conclusion

Complete Blood Count tests can be done to find or rule out certain specific options for a general check-up. Booking a diagnostics test in primary health care with the prescription of your physician or doctor is quite useful. This is done by eliminating, evaluating, and observing changes, abnormalities, variations, and inconsistencies in the components' count, quality, or size. This includes RBCs, WBCs, platelets, and their components.

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