CBC analysis or complete blood count is one of the simplest and most common blood tests that give a comprehensive picture of the health of the body and help detect many diseases. Doctors usually order this test routinely for the patient to study the red blood cell count, white blood cell count and hemoglobin concentration in the blood depending on the sex and age of the patient. It is an inexpensive and quick examination, as the device takes less than a minute to show its results.

What are the reasons for performing a CBC analysis?

There are many reasons that require a CBC analysis, including:

Diagnosing some medical conditions

If you suffer from symptoms of fatigue, pallor, high temperature, inflammation, bleeding or bruising on the skin, a complete blood count is the first choice for diagnosing the cause of these symptoms. For example, it shows an increase in the number of white blood cells in the event of a bacterial infection. Or a decrease in the number of platelets as a reason for the formation of bruises on the skin.

Follow-up of the pathological condition and the effectiveness of treatment

In some blood diseases such as anemia, a CBC test is performed periodically to monitor the development of the red blood cell count and hemoglobin concentration in the blood. This gives the doctor an indication of the effectiveness of the treatment prescribed to the patient and its impact on the results of the analysis.

CBC analysis as a routine procedure

The doctor may request a CBC examination as part of a group of periodic analyzes to follow up on the general health of the patient. Or studying the possibility of undergoing a surgical operation, as the analysis gives indications of the presence of active inflammation in the body or the risk of bleeding during the surgical operation.

How to perform a CBC analysis

This analysis is quick and does not require fasting. If you are not going to perform other accompanying analyzes, you can eat and drink normally before the analysis. An upper arm band is usually applied until congestion occurs in the arm veins. Then the needle is inserted into it after sterilizing the area well. The sample is collected in a special tube and sent to the laboratory where it is placed in a CBC analyzer.

Normal values ​​for CBC analysis in an adult

The CBC examination contains many components that give a comprehensive picture of the blood condition, and each of these components has normal, standard values ​​that vary according to the patient’s age and gender.

Normal red blood cell count or RBC

The normal number of red blood cells varies according to gender. It ranges between 4.5-5.25 million red blood cells per cubic millimeter in males, and between 3.85-5.15 million red blood cells per cubic millimeter in females.

White blood cell count or WBC

A normal white blood cell count in a CBC is usually between 4 and 10.8 million leukocytes per cubic millimeter.

Normal platelet count or PLT

The normal number of platelets in a complete blood count is between 150,000-400,000 per cubic millimeter.

Normal hemoglobin or Hb

Normal hemoglobin varies by gender. For males, it ranges between 13-16.8 grams per deciliter, and for females, it ranges from 12-16 grams per deciliter. It is usually less in females due to bleeding during the menstrual cycle.

Normal mean corpuscular volume or MCV

The normal size of an erythrocyte is usually between 80-100 femtoliters.

Mean normal hemoglobin concentration in erythrocytes, or MCHC

It is usually between 32-36%.

Normally distributed erythrocytes or RDW

The normal value of red blood cell distribution ranges between 11.8-14.5% in males, and between 12.2-16.1% in females.

Normal hematocrit percentage, or HCT

The normal percentage of hematocrit differs between males and females. It amounts to 45-53% in males, and in females between 36-48%.

CBC analysis price

The price of CBC analysis is relatively low, at approximately $3, equivalent to 50 pounds in some Arab countries. While it is much higher in Western countries and the United States of America.

Read the CBC analysis

Since it is a comprehensive examination of many components of the blood, changes in the normal values ​​of the CBC analysis can indicate various diseases in the body. Therefore, when reading the CBC analysis, all pathological changes should be taken into account and the cause of these changes should be searched for.

First: the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit

The results of these measures within the complete blood count give a clear picture of the nature of red blood cells as follows:

• If they are all less than less than the normal value, then this is an indication of anemia, which causes symptoms of fatigue and pallor in the patient, and occurs due to iron or vitamin B12 deficiency, bleeding or other hidden problems.
• Either if the number of red blood cells or the levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit are higher than normal. This indicates some lesions such as heart disease or erysipelas that may result from smoking.

Second: the average globule size

A change in mean corpuscular volume or erythrocyte volume indicates several disorders, so it should not be neglected while reading a CBC analysis:

• A higher than normal average corpuscular volume may mask macrocytic anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency, folic acid deficiency, or liver and thyroid diseases.
• While in low average corpuscle size, the red blood cells are smaller than normal, such as in cases of iron deficiency anemia and thalassemia.

Third: the number of white blood cells

White blood cells are responsible for the body’s immune response:

• In the event that the number of white blood cells rises above normal values, the cause may be an infection or infection in the body. Or it may indicate a problem with the immune system or within the bone marrow, or it may be due to some drug treatments.
• But if the number of white blood cells is less than normal, this may indicate an autoimmune disease that destroys white blood cells. Or a bone marrow disorder or leukemia. Some medications may also cause this condition.

Fourth: the types of white blood cells

White blood cells are divided by the so-called formula into five types, each with different indications. In the event of a change in their value from the normal rate in the CBC analysis, you will notice these types recorded in the analysis result, and this is what they mean:

• An increase in neutral cells or granulocytes indicates severe bacterial infection, Cushing’s syndrome, or cardiac problems. If it decreases, the cause may be septicemia, cancer spread to the bone marrow, or immunodeficiency, for example.
• Lymphocytes are elevated in viral infections, ulcerative colitis and some leukemias. It decreases in autoimmune diseases, AIDS, viral hepatitis, and coronavirus infection, or by cortisone medications.
• Monocytes: their rise may indicate bacterial endocarditis, scleroderma, or fungal infections, for example, while their frequent decrease may indicate the presence of aplastic anemia.
• Eosinophils are elevated in celiac disease, Addison’s disease, and parasitic infections, as well as in asthma and drug interactions. Its decrease is not satisfactory.
• Basophils are elevated in rheumatoid arthritis, drug sensitivity, and several other diseases. It is also unsatisfactory.

Fifth: platelet count

It is responsible for stopping bleeding and changes in its normal value indicate a problem. Some additional tests must be performed to diagnose this problem.

So from the above, a CBC test is very necessary in diagnosing a variety of diseases, and it is an essential component of the routine check-ups that each of us must perform periodically. You can now read this analysis and understand the meaning of the change in its normal rates, but this does not mean that you consult a doctor to benefit from his experience and be assured of your health.