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Why it's done
By Mayo Clinic staffA complete blood count is a common blood test that's done for a variety of reasons:
- To assess your overall health. Your doctor may recommend a complete blood count as part of a routine medical examination to monitor your general health and to screen for a variety of disorders, such as anemia or leukemia.
- To diagnose a medical condition. Your doctor may suggest a complete blood count if you're experiencing weakness, fatigue, fever, inflammation, bruising or bleeding. A complete blood count may help diagnose the cause of these signs and symptoms. If your doctor suspects you have an infection, the test can also help confirm that diagnosis.
- To monitor a medical condition. If you've been diagnosed with a blood disorder that affects blood cell counts, such as thalassemia or polycythemia vera, your doctor may use complete blood counts to monitor your condition.
- To monitor medical treatment. A complete blood count may be used to monitor your health if you're taking medications that may affect blood cell counts. These medications include certain anticonvulsants, thyroid inhibitors and antibiotics, as well as some drugs used to treat schizophrenia, irregular heartbeat and rheumatoid arthritis, among others. Chemotherapy and radiation treatment for cancer also may affect your blood cell counts.
References
- Nicoll D, et al. Complete blood cell count. In: Nicoll D, et al. Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests. 5th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/popup.aspx?aID=3135998. Accessed Dec. 9, 2008.
- Patient education: Understanding your complete blood count. National Institutes of Health. http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/patient_education/pepubs/cbc97.pdf. Accessed Dec. 9, 2008.
- Complete blood count. Lab Tests Online. http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/cbc/test.html. Accessed Dec. 9, 2008.
- Fischbach FT. Blood studies: Hematology and coagulation. In: Fischbach FT. A Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2009:58.
- Tefferi A, et al. How to interpret and pursue an abnormal complete blood cell count in adults. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2005;80:923.
- Laboratory reference values. Erythrocytes: Red blood cells, hemoglobin. Leukocytes: White blood cells, platelet count, hematocrit. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; Dec. 2008.
