by Dr John Limansky | Jul 3, 2023 | Complete Blood Count (CBC)
The Complete Blood Count (CBC) is comprised of several individual blood tests that are used to evaluate your overall health. The CBC is often ordered during routine visits with your primary care physician since it aids in the diagnosis of a range of disorders including anemia, infections and even some cancers. It may also be ordered when a patient presents with certain symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, fever, or easy bruising/bleeding. The results are not definitive, so any abnormal results usually warrant further testing to reach a diagnosis.
The basic components of this test include a red blood cell count (RBC), white blood cell count (WBC), hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelets, as well as various others (See individual tests for further information).
by Dr John Limansky | Jul 3, 2023 | Complete Blood Count (CBC)
The white blood cell (WBC) differential is a separate test from the complete blood cell count (CBC), but these tests are frequently ordered together during a routine medical examination. The WBC differential reports the five main WBC types (neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils) as a direct count as well as a relative percentage. By understanding which WBC type is abnormal, it helps us reach a conclusion about why the WBC is elevated on the CBC. It is also used to monitor certain diseases such as infections (mononucleosis, HIV, tuberculosis), inflammation, asthma, autoimmune disorders, and leukemia.
by Dr John Limansky | Jul 3, 2023 | Complete Blood Count (CBC)
Nucleated red blood cells are a very immature and are usually only seen when there is extreme demand for the bone marrow to produce more, such as with massive blood loss, anemia, as well as certain cancers.
by Dr John Limansky | Jul 3, 2023 | Complete Blood Count (CBC)
Nucleated red blood cells are a very immature and are usually only seen when there is extreme demand for the bone marrow to produce more, such as with massive blood loss, anemia, as well as certain cancers.
by Dr John Limansky | Jul 3, 2023 | Complete Blood Count (CBC)
A peripheral blood smear is a method of manually examining the cells that make up a sample of blood. It is often ordered as a follow up for an abnormal result on a complete blood count. A pathologist will examine a drop of blood under a microscope to visualize the details of each of the three cell types (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets). Characteristics that are compared include size, shape and appearance of the cells on the slide compared to “normal” cells. The peripheral smear is useful for diagnosing a variety of blood-related conditions including anemia, bone marrow disorders, leukemia and even vitamin deficiencies.
by Dr John Limansky | Jul 3, 2023 | CBC with Automated Differential, Complete Blood Count (CBC)
The white blood cell (WBC) differential is a separate test from the complete blood cell count (CBC), but these tests are frequently ordered together during a routine medical examination. The WBC differential reports the five main WBC types (neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils) as a direct count as well as a relative percentage. By understanding which WBC type is abnormal, it helps us reach a conclusion about why the WBC is elevated on the CBC. It is also used to monitor certain diseases such as infections (mononucleosis, HIV, tuberculosis), inflammation, asthma, autoimmune disorders, and leukemia.
