The CBC or Complete Blood Count is a blood test that helps doctors evaluate the overall health of a patient. It is also used to detect any sort of disorder in the patient, such as leukemia or anemia, which is often caused due to lower red blood cells count.
A CBC is usually done as a routine checkup under annual health maintenance of the patient. Patients who experience symptoms like fever, weakness, or fatigue are often asked to get a CBC done. This test helps the doctors detect if there is any infection in your bloodstream. CBC is also done to assess the progress of on-going medical treatment. Treatments like chemotherapy that affect your blood levels need to be monitored to see if they are helping you or not.
The CBC test is just like any other blood test. A nurse will take a sample of your blood from a vein of your arm. This sample will be processed at a lab for review. There is no special diet that needs to be followed prior to this CBC test. You are encouraged to eat and drink as you normally would to see how your routine diet affects your blood. The test will take only a few minutes, after which you can get back to your daily work. The amount of blood taken is not enough to make you dizzy. If the provider has ordered other blood work along with CBC then you may need to fast.
There are multiple reasons why the CBC test is done. Some of them are as follows:
A Complete Blood Count measures the levels of the following:
There is nothing special needed to be done prior to the test. It is a simple blood test, but in some cases, the doctor might ask you to fast, so it’s necessary to ask your doctor regarding it. This will mostly be done in the morning, so the doctor might ask you to come for the test on an empty stomach. In very rare cases, the doctors provide special instructions on how the test will be conducted.
When you get a CBC done, your report will have two columns. One will be your result, and the other will be a “reference range.” This reference range is considered normal by doctors and the medical community, and your result will be compared to it to understand your reports better. The higher or lower your result when compared to the reference range the doctor will provide you with proper assessment and plan for the same.
In many cases, mild anemia is the cause of a difference in the reference range and your result. Be aware that each lab has a different reference range and how they compare the two. Different factors can easily affect your blood. These factors include your age, sex, as well as height above sea level.
Men | Women | |
White blood cells | 4,500 to 11,000 cells per microliter | |
Red blood cells | 4.7-6.1 million cells/mcL | 4.2-5.4 million cells/mcL |
Hematocrit | 40.7% to 50.3% | 36.1% to 44.3% |
Hemoglobin | 13.5 to 17.5 grams per deciliter | 12.3 to 15.3 gm/dL |
Mean corpuscular volume | 80 to 96 | |
Platelets | 150,000 to 350,000 platelets/mcL |
A CBC is never taken as a definitive diagnostic tool. It only helps the doctor to understand the levels of certain blood cells. If a person is being treated for a specific condition, a CBC test usually followed up with other tests that help with the diagnosis of that condition. Your doctor will suggest the required tests based on your CBC report.
Additional tests are also suggested when a healthy person’s CBC results are not normal according to the reference range. The doctor will prescribe a few more tests to understand the person’s health status including CMP, lipid panel or TSH. A CBC may also be done before a treatment is recommended to help understand how your body might react to it.
A CBC is useful to evaluate the overall health status of a person. There are very low to absolutely no risks associated with a CBC test. The blood test only involves taking a sample of blood from the patient. The reports of this blood test can be used to decide the further course of treatment.
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It is advised to stay away from alcohol before undergoing a CBC test. It will help doctors identify underlying issues better.
It takes around 24 hours for your doctor to receive the test results of a CBC test.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional for diagnosis, treatment, or concerns.
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