Components of the CBC

WBC Evaluation

REFERENCE EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF A EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF A HIGH

TEST 2
RANGE LOW COUNT COUNT
1
White Blood Cell Count Conventional Units Known as leukopenia Known as leukocytosis
• Bone marrow disorders or • Infection, most
(WBC) 4,500-11,000 white damage commonly bacterial or viral
blood cells per • Autoimmune conditions • Inflammation
microliter (mcL) • Severe infections (sepsis) • Leukemia, myeloproliferative
• Lymphoma or other cancer neoplasms
SI Units 1
that spread to the bone • Allergies, asthma
marrow • Tissue death (trauma,
9
4.5-11.0 x 10 per • Dietary deficiencies burns, heart attack)
liter (L) • Diseases of immune system • Intense exercise or severe
(e.g.,HIV/AIDS) stress
(Not always
White Blood Cell Differential
performed; may be
done as part of or in
(Diff)
follow up to CBC)
Conventional Units Known as neutropenia
• Severe, overwhelming
Known as neutrophilia
Percent (mean): infection (sepsis)
• Acute bacterial infections
56% • Autoimmune disorders
Absolute neutrophilcount, % • Inflammation
• Dietary deficiencies
neutrophils • Trauma, heart attack, or burns
Absolute count (per • Reaction to drugs
• Stress, rigorous exercise
microliter): • Immunodeficiency
(Neu, PMN, polys) • Certain leukemias (e.g., chronic
1800-7800 • Myelodysplasia
myeloid leukemia)
• Bone marrow damage (e.g.,
• Cushing syndrome
SI Units chemotherapy, radiation
therapy)
 REFERENCE EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF A EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF A HIGH
TEST
RANGE2 LOW COUNT COUNT
Mean number • Cancer that spreads to the
fraction: 0.56 bone marrow

Absolute count X
109 per liter:
1.8-7.8
Known as lymphocytosis
Conventional Units
• Acute viral infections
Known as lymphocytopenia (e.g., chicken
Percent (mean) 34%
• Autoimmune disorders pox, cytomegalovirus
Absolute count (per
(e.g., lupus, rheumatoid (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus
microliter):
arthritis) (EBV), herpes, rubella)
Absolute lymphocytecount, 1000-4800
• Infections (e.g., HIV, viral • Certain bacterial infections
% lymphocytes
hepatitis, typhoid (e.g., pertussis (whooping
SI Units
fever, influenza) cough), tuberculosis (TB))
(Lymph)
• Bone marrow damage (e.g., • Toxoplasmosis
Mean number
chemotherapy, radiation • Chronic inflammatory disorder
fraction: 0.34
therapy) (e.g., ulcerative colitis)
Absolute count X
• Corticosteroids • Lymphocytic leukemia,
109 per liter:
lymphoma
1.0-4.8
• Stress (acute)
Conventional Units
Usually, one low count is not • Chronic infections (e.g.,
medically significant. tuberculosis, fungal infection)
Percent (mean) 4%
• Infection within the heart
Absolute count (per
Absolute monocytecount, % Repeated low counts can indicate: (bacterial endocarditis)
microliter)
monocytes • Collagen vascular diseases
0-800
(Mono) • Bone marrow damage or (e.g., lupus, scleroderma,
failure rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis)
SI Units
• Hairy cell leukemia • Monocytic or myelomonocytic
• Aplastic anemia leukemia (acute or chronic)
Mean number
 REFERENCE EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF A EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF A HIGH
TEST 2
RANGE LOW COUNT COUNT
fraction 0.04
Absolute count X
109 per liter
0-0.80
Conventional Units

Percent (mean)
• Asthma, allergies such as hay
2.7%
fever
Absolute count (per
• Drug reactions
microliter)
Absolute eosinophilcount, % Numbers are normally low in the • Parasitic infections
0-450
eosinophils blood. One or an occasional low • Inflammatory disorders (celiac
number is usually not medically disease, inflammatory bowel
SI Units
(Eos) significant disease)
• Some cancers, leukemias or
Mean number
lymphomas
fraction 0.027
• Addison disease
Absolute count X
109 per liter
0-0.45
Conventional Units

Percent (mean)
0.3% • Rare allergic reactions (hives,
Absolute basophil count, % Absolute count (per food allergy)
As with eosinophils, numbers are
basophils microliter) • Inflammation (rheumatoid
normally low in the blood; usually not
0-200 arthritis, ulcerative colitis)
medically significant
(Baso) • Some leukemias
SI Units • Uremia

Mean number
fraction 0.030
 REFERENCE EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF A EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF A HIGH
TEST
RANGE2 LOW COUNT COUNT
Absolute count X
109 per liter
0-0.20

RBC Evaluation

REFERENCE EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF HIGH

TEST EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF LOW RESULT
RANGE2 RESULT
Red Blood Cell Conventional Known as anemia Known as polycythemia
Count Units • Acute or chronic bleeding • Dehydration
(RBC) • RBC destruction (e.g., hemolytic • Lung (pulmonary) disease
Men: 4.5-5.9 x anemia, etc.) • Kidney or other tumor that produces
106/microliter • Nutritional deficiency (e.g., iron excess erythropoietin
deficiency, vitamin B12 or folate • Smoking
Women: 4.5-5.1 x deficiency) • Living at high altitude
6
10 microliter • Bone marrow disorders or damage • Genetic causes (altered oxygen
• Chronic inflammatory disease sensing, abnormality in hemoglobin
SI Units • Chronic kidney disease oxygen release)
• Polycythemia vera—a rare disease
Men: 4.5-5.9 x
1012/L

Women: 4.1-5.1 x
1012/L
Conventional
Hemoglobin
Units Usually mirrors RBC results, provides added
Usually mirrors RBC results
information
(Hb)
Men: 14-17.5
 REFERENCE EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF HIGH
TEST EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF LOW RESULT
RANGE2 RESULT
g/dL

Women: 12.3-
15.3 g/dL

SI Units

Men: 140-175 g/L

Women: 123-153
g/L
Conventional
Units

Men: 41.5-50.4%

Women: 36.9-
44.6%
Hematocrit
Usually mirrors RBC results; most
Usually mirrors RBC results
SI Units common cause is dehydration
(Hct)
Men: 0.415-0.504
volume fraction

Women: 0.369-
0.446 volume
fraction
RBC indices
Indicates RBCs are smaller than normal Indicates RBCs are larger than normal
MCV Conventional
(microcytic); caused by iron deficiency (macrocytic), for example in anemia
 REFERENCE EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF HIGH
TEST EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF LOW RESULT
RANGE2 RESULT
Units anemia or thalassemias, for example. caused by vitamin B12 or folate deficiency,
myelodysplasia, liver
80-96 disease, hypothyroidism
micrometer3

SI Units

80-96 fL
Conventional
Units

27.5-33.2 pg Mirrors MCV results; small red cells would Mirrors MCV results; macrocytic RBCs are
MCH
have a lower value. large so tend to have a higher MCH.
SI Units

27.5-33.2 pg
Conventional
Increased MCHC values (hyperchromia)
Units
are seen in conditions where the
May be low when MCV is low; decreased
hemoglobin is more concentrated inside
33.4-35.5 g/dL MCHC values (hypochromia) are seen in
MCHC the red cells, such as autoimmune
conditions such as iron deficiency anemia and
hemolytic anemia, in burn patients, and
SI Units thalassemia.
hereditary spherocytosis, a rare congenital
disorder.
334-355 g/L
Indicates mixed population of small and
large RBCs; young RBCs tend to be
RDW (Not
RBC Distribution larger. For example, in iron deficiency
always Low value indicates uniformity in size of RBCs.
Width anemia or pernicious anemia, there is high
reported)
variation (anisocytosis) in RBC size (along
with variation in shape – poikilocytosis),
 REFERENCE EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF HIGH
TEST EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF LOW RESULT
RANGE2 RESULT
causing an increase in the RDW.
Conventional
Units

0.5-1.5% or
In the setting of anemia, a high
25-75 x In the setting of anemia, a low reticulocyte
reticulocyte count generally indicates
Reticulocyte 103/microliter count indicates a condition is affecting the
peripheral cause, such as bleeding
Count (Not production of red blood cells, such as bone
or hemolysis, or response to treatment
always done) SI Units marrow disorder or damage, or a nutritional
(e.g., iron supplementation for iron
deficiency (iron, B12 or folate).
deficiency anemia).
0.005-0.015
number fraction
or
25-75 x 109/L

Platelet Evaluation

REFERENCE
TEST EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF LOW RESULT EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF HIGH RESULT
RANGE2
Platelet Conventional Known as thrombocytopenia: Know as thrombocytosis:
Count Units • Viral infection (mononucleosis, measles, • Cancer (lung,
hepatitis) gastrointestinal, breast, ovarian,
(Plt) 150-450 x • Rocky mountain spotted fever lymphoma)
103/microliter • Platelet autoantibody • Rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory
• Drugs (acetaminophen, quinidine, sulfa drugs) bowel disease, lupus
SI Units • Cirrhosis • Iron deficiency anemia
• Autoimmune disorders • Hemolytic anemia
150-450 x 10 /L9
• Sepsis • Myeloproliferative disorder (e.g.,
• Leukemia, lymphoma essential thrombocythemia)
• Myelodysplasia
 REFERENCE
TEST EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF LOW RESULT EXAMPLES OF CAUSES OF HIGH RESULT
RANGE2
• Chemo or radiation therapy
MPV
Indicates average size of platelets is small; older Indicates a high number of larger, younger
Mean Platelet platelets are generally smaller than younger ones and platelets in the blood; this may be due to the
(Not
Volume a low MPV may mean that a condition is affecting the bone marrow producing and releasing
always
production of platelets by the bone marrow. platelets rapidly into circulation.
reported)
PDW
Platelet Indicates increased variation in the size of the
(Not Distribution Indicates uniformity in size of platelets platelets, which may mean that a condition is
always Width present that is affecting platelets
reported)