Importance of CBC test

CBC also known as, FBC (Full blood count), BLOOD CP (Complete picture) or
FBE (Full blood exam).

CBC is often used as a broad screening test to determine an individual’s

general health status. It can be used to:

Screen for a wide range of conditions and diseases

Help diagnose various conditions such as, Anemia, Infection.

 CONT;

o Inflamation

o Bleeding disorders

o Leukemia

Monitor the condition and effectiveness of treatment after a diagnosis is established

Monitor treatment that is known to affect blood cells, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
• Component of the CBC:

• Red Blood Cells (RBCs)

• Hematocrit (Hct) or Packed cell volume (PCV)
• Hemoglobin (Hb)
• Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
• Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin(MCH)
• Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC)

- Red cell distribution width (RDW)

• White Blood Cells (WBCs)

• Platelets
• Mean Platelet volume (MPV)
• RBC (varies with altitude):
– M: 4.5 to 5.5 x10^12 /L
– F: 4.2 to 5.2 x10^12 /L
• Biconcave disc shape with diameter
of about 7.2 µm
• Function: - transport hemoglobin which carries
oxygen from the lung to the tissues
• Life span 100-120 days.
PCV or Hematocrit

• 57% Plasma

• 1% Buffy coat – WBC

• 42% Hct (PCV)

Packed cell volume
• PCV is the proportion of blood occupied by RBCS ,expressed in
percentage .
• It is the volume of RBCS packed at the bottom of a hematocrit tube
when the blood is centrifuge .
• Normal value :
• Male : 40 to 45%
• Female : 38 to 42%
Red cell indices
• It is very useful in morphology characterization and diagnosis of
anemias .
• The important red cell indices are as :
• Mean corpuscular volume (MCV)
• Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH)
• Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC)
• Red cell distribution width (RDW)
Mean corpuscular volume MCV
• The average volume of RBC and is expressed in femtoliter
if the MCV is less than 80 fl, the RBCs are smaller than normal
(microcytic); caused by iron deficiency anemia or thalassemia, for example.

• If the MCV is greater than 97 fl, the RBCs are larger than normal
(macrocytic), for example in anemia caused by vitamin B 12 or folate
deficiency.  

• If the MCV is within the normal range, the RBCs are normocytic
 Mean Corpuscular Volume
(MCV)

The MCV indicates the average volume of the red blood

cells.
Volume of RBC in femtoliters (fl) / μl of blood
MCV = RBC / μl of blood 1 μl = 109 fl

Hematocrit x 10

= RBC count in millions (fl)

• Normal value for the MCV : 80~97 fl

 Mean Cell Volume (MCV)
• RBC volume (rather) is measured by
The Mean Cell Volume or MCV and RDW

MCV

Microcytic Normocytic Macrocytic

< 80 fl 80 -100 fl > 100 fl

< 6.5 µ 6.5 - 9 µ >9µ

 Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH)

• MCH is the quantity or amount of hemoglobin in one RBC

Weight of hemoglobin in 1 μl of blood
• MCH = Number of red blood cells in 1 μl of blood
1 g = 1012 pg
Hemoglobin x 10
(pg) 1 ml = 103 μl
Red blood cell count in millions
=

• Normal value for the MCH : 27~31 pg

• An MCH lower than 27 pg is found in microcytic anemia and

also with normocytic, hypochromic RBCs.
• An high MCH occurs in macrocytic anemia.
 Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin
Concentration (MCHC)
• The MCHC is an expression of the average concentration
of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. It is the amount of
hemoglobin expressed in relation to volume of RBC
• MCHC =

Hemoglobin in g/dl
x 100 (to convert to %)
Hematocrit /dl
=
Hemoglobin x 100 %

Hematocrit

• Normal value for the MCHC : 32~36 %

MCHC
• When MCHC is normal the RBC is normochromic
• When MCHC is decrease the RBC is hypochromic
Red cell Distribution Width - RDW
RDW

Normal High

Population Population
Uniform Double
Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW)

• measures the variability in the size of red blood cells.

• Normal range: 11.5-14.5%
• On a peripheral blood smear, high RDW is described as
“anisocytosis
 White Blood Cells (WBC)

• White blood cells help fight infections. They are also called leukocytes. There are five major
types of white blood cells which give more detailed information about an infection.

Neutrophils

Basophils

Eosinophils

Lymphocytes

Monocytes
 Platelets
• A platelet count is a test to measure how many platelets you have in your
blood. Platelets help the blood clot. They are smaller than red or white blood
cells.

• Normal Results

• 150,000 - 400,000 platelets per microliter (mcL).

• MPV (Mean Platelet Volume) measures the average amount(volume) of

platelets. Mean platelet volume is used along with platelet count to
diagnose some diseases.
• PDW (Platelet distribution width).