Why is this procedure done?
Complete blood count is also known as a CBC. A CBC looks at the number of cells in the blood. There are three types of cells: Red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. ‚
- Red blood cells or RBCs:
- Carry oxygen throughout the body and make blood red
- Too many or too few RBCs can cause serious health problems
- Are the most common cells found in your blood
- Most common terms are the hemoglobin and hematocrit
- Other tests of RBCs like mean corpuscular volume or MCV and mean corpuscular hemoglobin or MCH may give more information about the cells
- White blood cells or WBCs:
- Fight germs and illnesses
- Too many or too few WBCs can mean an infection, swelling, or disease in the body
- Are the largest cells found in your blood
- Different kinds of WBCs include neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils
- Platelets:
- Help the body make clots and prevent bleeding
- With too few platelets there is an increased chance of bleeding
- Are the smallest cells found in your blood
Your doctor may order a CBC to: ‚
- Learn about an infection, swelling, or bleeding problem
- Check your response to treatments
- Monitor your cancer treatment
- See how drugs known to affect blood cells or cause bleeding are affecting you
- Learn more about your signs or condition
- Go along with a routine physical
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What will the results be?
- The doctor will look at the results of your test.
- If the results are normal, it is likely that you do not have an illness that affects the blood cells.
- If the results are not normal, you may have a problem that is causing you to have too many or too few of a certain kind of blood cell.
- Your doctor may order another test to verify the diagnosis.
- The doctor will talk with you about treatment.
What happens before the procedure?
- There are no special things to do before the test. Wearing a short-sleeve shirt on the day of the test can make things easier.
- Talk to your doctor about:
- All the drugs you are taking, including herbal and over-the-counter or OTC drugs
- Any bleeding problems
What happens during the procedure?
- It will only take a few minutes to have this test. You will be awake the whole time. You will have a small amount of blood taken from you with a needle. You may have a small amount of pain. The needle will be taken out and a bandage will be put on your skin. The blood will be sent to the lab for testing.
- Instead of using a needle, the staff may prick your finger and smear some blood on a slide or collect it in a small tube. In babies, the heel is pricked instead of the finger.
What happens after the procedure?
- You may want to sit quietly for a few minutes before standing up. This will help keep you from feeling dizzy after the test.
- Ask your doctor when you will get the results.
What care is needed at home?
You may do your everyday activities when you get back home. ‚
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. This test will help your doctor understand if you have a problem with your CBC. Together you can make a plan for more care. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Pain
- Bruising
- Bleeding
- Feeling dizzy
- Infection
Where can I learn more?
American Association for Clinical Chemistry ‚
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/cbc/tab/test ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/labtest4.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚