CBC

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X

Basophil (Close-up)	Complete blood count - series	Formed elements of blood	Malaria, microscopic view of cellular parasites
Malaria, photomicrograph of cellular parasites	Megaloblastic anemia - view of red blood cells	Red blood cells, elliptocytosis	Red blood cells, multiple sickle cells
Red blood cells, normal	Red blood cells, sickle and pappenheimer	Red blood cells, sickle cell	Red blood cells, sickle cells
Red blood cells, spherocytosis	Red blood cells, target cells	Red blood cells, tear-drop shape

Complete blood count

• RBC (varies with altitude):
  • Male: 4.7 to 6.1 million cells/mcL
  • Female: 4.2 to 5.4 million cells/mcL
• WBC: 4,500 to 10,000 cells/mcL
• Hematocrit (varies with altitude):
  • Male: 40.7 to 50.3 %
  • Female: 36.1 to 44.3 %
• Hemoglobin (varies with altitude):
  • Male: 13.8 to 17.2 gm/dL
  • Female: 12.1 to 15.1 gm/dL
• MCV: 80 to 95 femtoliter
• MCH: 27 to 31 pg/cell
• MCHC: 32 to 36 gm/dL

(cells/mcL = cells per microliter; gm/dL = grams per deciliter; pg/cell = picograms per cell)

High numbers of RBCs may indicate:

• Low oxygen tension in the blood
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Cor pulmonale
  • Pulmonary fibrosis
• Polycythemia vera
• Dehydration (such as from severe diarrhea)
• Renal (kidney) disease with high erythropoietin production

Low numbers of RBCs may indicate:

• Blood loss
  • Anemia (various types)
  • Hemorrhage
• Bone marrow failure (for example, from radiation, toxin, fibrosis, tumor)
• Erythropoietin deficiency (secondary to renal disease)
• Hemolysis (RBC destruction)
• Leukemia
• Multiple myeloma
• Malnutrition (nutritional deficiencies of iron, folate, vitamin B12, or vitamin B6)

Low numbers of WBCs (leukopenia) may indicate:

• Bone marrow failure (for example, due to infection, tumor or fibrosis)
• Presence of cytotoxic substance
• Autoimmune/collagen-vascular diseases (such as lupus erythematosus)
• Disease of the liver or spleen
• Radiation exposure

High numbers of WBCs (leukocytosis) may indicate:

• Infectious diseases
• Inflammatory disease (such as rheumatoid arthritis or allergy)
• Leukemia
• Severe emotional or physical stress
• Tissue damage (SUCH AS burns)

Low hematocrit may indicate:

• Anemia (various types)
• Blood loss (hemorrhage)
• Bone marrow failure (for example, due to radiation, toxin, fibrosis, tumor)
• Hemolysis (RBC destruction) related to transfusion reaction
• Leukemia
• Malnutrition or specific nutritional deficiency
• Multiple myeloma
• Rheumatoid arthritis

High hematocrit may indicate:

• Dehydration
  • Burns
  • Diarrhea
• Polycythemia vera
• Low oxygen tension (smoking, congenital heart disease, living at high altitudes)

Low hemoglobin values may indicate:

• Anemia (various types)
• Blood loss

Review Date: 09/11/2006
Reviewed By: Corey Cutler, MD, MPH, FRCP(C), Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.