Прямой ответ
A Complete Blood Count (CBC) is a blood test that measures red blood cells, haemoglobin, white blood cells and platelets. The CBC helps detect anaemia, infection, inflammation, bleeding tendency and blood cancers, and is used to monitor treatment. A CBC is a screening and pattern test, it does not name a diagnosis on its own.
Основные выводы
- The CBC counts and describes blood cells; the CBC does not identify the cause of an abnormal count.
- A normal CBC does not exclude serious disease, including many cancers, early iron deficiency, clotting disorders or thalassaemia trait.
- Fasting is usually not needed for a CBC alone, but your laboratory's instruction takes precedence, especially if other tests are booked on the same sample.
- Reference ranges differ between laboratories, analysers, age groups, sex, pregnancy and altitude, always read your report against the range printed on it.
- In India, iron deficiency, thalassaemia and haemoglobin E traits, dengue, malaria and tuberculosis all shape how a CBC is interpreted.
С одного взгляда
| Характеристика | XNUMX |
|---|---|
| Образец | Venous blood in an EDTA (purple-top) tube; heel or finger prick sometimes used in newborns and small children |
| голодание | Usually not required for CBC alone; follow your unit's instruction if other tests are combined |
| Пора сдать кровь. | Typically about 2-5 minutes, plus registration and waiting time |
| Time in the laboratory | Automated analysers process a CBC within minutes; reporting time depends on the unit's workflow and whether a manual smear review is needed |
| Основные компоненты | Haemoglobin, RBC count, haematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW, total WBC with differential, platelet count, MPV |
| На какие вопросы это отвечает | Are the blood cell numbers and sizes normal? Is there a pattern suggesting anaemia, infection or a marrow problem? |
| What it does not answer | Why the counts are abnormal; whether an organ is diseased; whether cancer is present |
| Дискомфорт | Brief needle prick; bruising at the site is common and settles |
Также известный под названием
- CBC тест
- Полный анализ крови (FBC)
- Haemogram or complete haemogram
- CBC with differential count / CBC with DC
- Blood count test, "khoon ki jaanch" / "blood test for Hb" in everyday use
- Hb test, commonly used in India, though haemoglobin is only one part of a CBC
What a Complete Blood Count is
The Complete Blood Count measures the three cell lines made by bone marrow and released into blood.
- Красные кровяные тельца (эритроциты): carry oxygen. The CBC reports the RBC count, haemoglobin (Hb), haematocrit (PCV), and red cell indices, MCV (average cell size), MCH, MCHC and RDW (variation in cell size). The indices are what separate iron deficiency, thalassaemia trait and vitamin B12 or folate deficiency patterns.
- Лейкоциты (лейкоциты): part of the immune response. The differential count reports neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils, as percentages and usually as absolute counts. Absolute counts are more clinically useful than percentages.
- Тромбоциты: fragments involved in clotting. The CBC reports platelet count and often MPV (mean platelet volume).
Most CBCs are run on an automated haematology analyser. When the analyser flags an abnormality, a trained person may examine a stained blood film (peripheral smear) under the microscope. A smear can show cell shapes, parasites such as malaria, abnormal or immature cells, and platelet clumping that the machine misreads.
Why a CBC is done
- Оценка симптомов: tiredness, breathlessness, pallor, fever, recurrent infections, easy bruising, bleeding gums, unexplained weight loss or night sweats.
- Anaemia workup: to confirm anaemia and describe its type, which then directs iron studies, B12, folate, haemoglobin electrophoresis or other tests.
- Suspected infection or inflammation: the CBC pattern supports, but does not confirm, bacterial, viral, parasitic or fungal infection.
- Мониторинг лечения: chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunosuppressants, anti-thyroid drugs, some antibiotics, anti-epileptics and anti-tubercular therapy can suppress blood counts.
- Before surgery or a procedure: to check haemoglobin and platelets.
- Monitoring chronic disease: chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, known blood disorders and cancers.
- Уход за беременными: for anaemia and platelet monitoring, as part of routine antenatal testing.
Кому следует пройти этот тест?
A CBC is requested by a clinician when there is a reason for it. Groups in whom a CBC is commonly appropriate include:
- Anyone with symptoms suggesting anaemia, infection, bleeding or bruising.
- Pregnant women, as part of antenatal screening.
- Adolescent girls and women with heavy menstrual bleeding.
- Infants and young children in whom nutritional anaemia is suspected, and children with poor growth.
- People on medicines known to affect blood counts, at intervals set by the prescriber.
- People with chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, HIV, autoimmune disease or a known haemoglobin disorder.
- People with a family history of thalassaemia or sickle cell disease, and couples planning a pregnancy, a CBC with low MCV and MCH is often the first clue that prompts confirmatory testing.
- Blood donors and pre-operative patients, as per the institution's protocol.
Routine CBC in a completely well adult with no risk factors has limited value as a stand-alone screen. How often to repeat a CBC depends on your clinical situation and is a decision for your doctor.
What a CBC cannot detect or exclude
The CBC is a counting test. It is easy to read more into it than it can support.
- It does not give a diagnosis. A high WBC count does not confirm infection. A low haemoglobin does not tell you why.
- Это не исключает возможности развития рака. Many solid tumours, and even some blood cancers early on, occur with a completely normal CBC. A normal CBC must never be used as a cancer screen.
- It does not measure iron stores. Iron deficiency can exist with a normal haemoglobin. Ferritin and iron studies are separate tests.
- It does not diagnose thalassaemia or sickle cell disease. A CBC may raise suspicion through a low MCV; confirmation needs haemoglobin electrophoresis or HPLC, and sometimes DNA testing.
- It does not measure clotting function. A normal platelet count does not exclude a bleeding disorder such as von Willebrand disease or haemophilia. PT/INR, APTT and specific factor assays are different tests.
- It does not measure inflammation directly. ESR and CRP are separate tests, and each has its own limitations.
- It does not diagnose dengue, malaria, typhoid or tuberculosis. The CBC may show suggestive patterns, but specific tests are required.
- It does not assess kidney, liver, thyroid or glucose status.
- It does not reliably show bone marrow disease in early stages. A bone marrow examination may still be needed despite a near-normal CBC.
A normal or "not detected" CBC result describes the cells present in that sample at that moment. It is not proof that disease is absent. If symptoms continue despite a normal CBC, return to your doctor rather than assuming the problem has been excluded.
Связанные, но разные обследования
These tests are often confused with a CBC. They answer different questions and are not interchangeable.
| Тест | Вопрос, на который он отвечает | How it differs from a CBC |
|---|---|---|
| CBC (haemogram) | Are the numbers, sizes and proportions of blood cells normal? | Automated counts plus indices; no cause identified |
| Peripheral blood smear (PS) | What do the cells actually look like? | Microscopic review; can show malaria parasites, blast cells, abnormal red cell shapes, platelet clumps |
| Haemoglobin (Hb) alone / point-of-care Hb | Is haemoglobin low? | No indices, no WBC or platelet data; useful for screening but cannot characterise anaemia |
| Iron studies (ferritin, serum iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation) | Are iron stores low or overloaded? | Measures iron status, not cell counts; ferritin rises with infection and inflammation |
| Витамин B12 и фолиевая кислота | Is there a deficiency causing large red cells? | Explains a high MCV that the CBC only flags |
| Электрофорез гемоглобина / ВЭЖХ | Is there an abnormal haemoglobin such as HbS, HbE or beta-thalassaemia trait? | Confirmatory; the CBC only suggests |
| Количество ретикулоцитов | Is the marrow responding to anaemia? | Sometimes reported with a CBC, often ordered separately |
| СОЭ и СРБ | Is there inflammation? | Non-specific inflammatory markers, not cell counts |
| PT/INR and APTT | Is the clotting cascade working? | Platelet number from CBC says nothing about clotting factors or platelet function |
| Аспирация костного мозга и биопсия | What is happening at the site of blood production? | Invasive; used when CBC and smear point to a marrow disorder |
| Flow cytometry / molecular testing | What type of leukaemia or lymphoma is this? | Specialist testing after abnormal CBC and smear |
Which test comes first depends on the clinical problem. For pallor and fatigue, a CBC usually comes first and iron studies follow. For a bleeding tendency with a normal platelet count, coagulation testing is the more informative next step. For fever with rigors in a malaria-endemic area, a malaria-specific test is needed alongside the CBC, not instead of it. No single test is universally superior.
Как приготовиться
Preparation for a CBC is minimal, but the operational details, fasting, timing, sample tube, appointment requirements and reporting workflow, vary from one laboratory to another. Your own laboratory's or hospital's written instruction always takes precedence over general advice.
- Голодание: usually not required for a CBC by itself. If lipid profile, fasting glucose or insulin tests are booked on the same visit, the laboratory may ask you to fast, follow that instruction.
- Увлажнение: normal fluid intake makes the vein easier to access. Dehydration can concentrate the sample.
- Лекарства и добавки: tell the person taking the sample about all prescription medicines, over-the-counter drugs, iron or vitamin supplements, AYUSH or herbal preparations, and gym or protein supplements. Do not stop, start or change any prescribed medicine for a test, speak to the prescriber first.
- Recent blood transfusion, iron infusion, B12 injection or growth-factor injection: mention these, as they change the counts and indices.
- Интенсивные упражнения: heavy exertion shortly before the draw can transiently raise WBC and platelet counts. A brief rest before the sample is reasonable.
- Одежда: short or loose sleeves make the draw easier.
- Сроки: some counts vary through the day. If you are having serial CBCs to follow a trend, sampling at a similar time of day is helpful.
беременность
Blood volume expands in pregnancy, so haemoglobin and haematocrit fall physiologically and platelet counts drift slightly lower. Pregnancy-specific reference ranges apply. No fasting is needed for a CBC. Tell the laboratory you are pregnant.
Младенцы и дети
Reference ranges for haemoglobin, MCV and the WBC differential change substantially with age, lymphocytes normally predominate in infancy, unlike in adults. Paediatric results must be read against age-appropriate ranges. Small sample volumes and paediatric tubes are used. Prolonged fasting is not appropriate for young children.
Диабет на фоне сахароснижающей терапии
If the laboratory asks you to fast for tests bundled with the CBC, discuss timing with your prescriber beforehand, especially if you take insulin or sulfonylureas. Carry a fast-acting carbohydrate source. Do not skip or delay doses on your own initiative.
Хроническое заболевание почек, сердечная недостаточность и ограничение потребления жидкости
General advice to "drink plenty of water" before a blood test does not apply if you are on a prescribed fluid restriction or diuretic therapy. Keep to your prescribed fluid allowance and tell the phlebotomist. If you have an arteriovenous fistula or graft, that arm must not be used for the blood draw.
People on blood thinners or with a bleeding disorder
Inform the phlebotomist. Firmer and longer pressure over the puncture site is needed. Do not stop anticoagulants for a routine blood draw unless your prescriber has told you to.
Что происходит во время теста?
- Identification and labelling: your details are confirmed and the tube labelled. Correct labelling matters as much as the needle technique.
- Позиционирование: you sit or lie down. Tell the staff if you have fainted during blood tests before, so you can lie down.
- Tourniquet and cleaning: a band is applied above the elbow and the skin cleaned.
- Ничья: a needle is inserted into a vein, usually at the inner elbow, and blood is collected into an EDTA tube. You feel a sharp prick for a few seconds.
- Смешивание: the tube is gently inverted several times so the anticoagulant mixes; this prevents clots that would invalidate the result.
- После жеребьевки: pressure is applied for a minute or two and a plaster placed. Keep the arm straight rather than bending it over the cotton.
- Children and newborns: a heel prick or finger prick may be used.
Сколько времени это займет: the blood draw itself is generally 2-5 minutes. Add time for registration and waiting. The automated analysis takes only minutes, but the time until you receive the report depends on the laboratory's workflow, whether a blood film review or repeat run is needed, and whether the sample is sent to an off-site laboratory. Ask your collection centre when your report will be available.
You can usually eat, drink and resume normal activity immediately, unless you fasted for other tests or feel light-headed.
Understanding your CBC report
Read each value against the reference range printed on your own report. Ranges legitimately differ between laboratories because analysers, methods and reference populations differ, and because normal values shift with age, sex, pregnancy, altitude and ethnicity. Published ranges from another laboratory or website should not be used to judge your report. A value slightly outside the range is not automatically abnormal, and a value inside the range is not automatically fine for you.
What each parameter describes
- Haemoglobin (Hb): oxygen-carrying capacity. Low Hb defines anaemia.
- Haematocrit / PCV: the proportion of blood volume occupied by red cells. Tracks with Hb; rises with dehydration.
- RBC count: number of red cells. Can be normal or even high in thalassaemia trait despite low Hb.
- МКВ: average red cell size. Low (microcytic) suggests iron deficiency or thalassaemia trait; high (macrocytic) suggests B12 or folate deficiency, alcohol use, hypothyroidism, liver disease or certain medicines.
- MCH and MCHC: haemoglobin content and concentration per cell.
- RDW: variation in red cell size. Often raised in iron deficiency and typically less raised in uncomplicated thalassaemia trait, though there is overlap.
- Total WBC count: raised (leucocytosis) in many infections, inflammation, tissue injury, steroid therapy, smoking, pregnancy, stress and leukaemias; low (leucopenia) in some viral infections, drug effects, marrow disorders and hypersplenism.
- Нейтрофилы: often raised in bacterial infection and inflammation. A very low absolute neutrophil count increases infection risk and needs prompt medical attention.
- Лимфоциты: often relatively raised in viral illness; normally high in infants. Persistent marked lymphocytosis in an older adult needs evaluation.
- Эозинофилы: raised in allergy, asthma, drug reactions and parasitic infestation, common in India.
- Monocytes and basophils: less specific; interpreted with the whole picture.
- Количество тромбоцитов: low counts can accompany dengue, sepsis, immune thrombocytopenia, marrow disease, hypersplenism and some medicines. High counts may reflect infection, inflammation, iron deficiency, post-splenectomy state, or a primary marrow disorder.
- Минивэн: average platelet size; a supporting clue only.
Flags such as "abnormal scattergram", "platelet clumps", "nucleated RBCs" or "review smear" are prompts for laboratory verification, not diagnoses.
Patterns matter more than single numbers
Clinicians look at combinations. Low Hb with low MCV and high RDW suggests iron deficiency. Low Hb with high MCV suggests B12 or folate deficiency. Low counts across all three cell lines (pancytopenia) points towards a marrow or spleen problem and needs prompt specialist assessment. Fever with falling platelets and a rising haematocrit in a dengue-endemic setting is a well-recognised warning pattern requiring urgent clinical review.
Your CBC must be interpreted by the doctor who requested it, alongside your history, examination and other results. Results vary depending on individual clinical circumstances. Do not start iron, vitamin B12 or any other treatment on the basis of a report alone.
When CBC results can be misleading
Falsely raised values
- Dehydration or diuretics: haemoconcentration falsely raises Hb, haematocrit and RBC count.
- Prolonged tourniquet time or a difficult draw with squeezing: can raise haematocrit and cell counts locally.
- Recent strenuous exercise, acute stress, pain, seizures or smoking: transiently raise WBC and sometimes platelet counts.
- Кортикостероиды: raise the neutrophil count without infection.
- Living at high altitude: genuinely raises Hb and haematocrit, not an error, but misread if compared to sea-level ranges.
- Cold agglutinins or very high lipids or bilirubin: can produce spurious MCHC and Hb readings on some analysers.
- Very high WBC counts or fragmented cells: may be miscounted by the analyser as platelets, falsely raising the platelet count.
- Беременность: mild physiological leucocytosis is normal and should not be read as infection.
Falsely lowered values
- Diluted sample: blood drawn from or near a limb with a running intravenous drip lowers all counts.
- Overfilled or underfilled EDTA tube, or inadequate mixing: distorts counts and can cause clotting in the tube.
- Platelet clumping and EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia: a well-recognised artefact giving a falsely low platelet count in a person with no bleeding problem. The laboratory may confirm on a smear or repeat in a citrate tube.
- Clotted sample: falsely low platelet and sometimes WBC counts; the sample must be rejected and repeated.
- Delayed transport or poor storage: cell swelling and lysis alter indices; haemolysis lowers apparent red cell counts.
- Recent large-volume intravenous fluids: dilutional fall in Hb and haematocrit.
- Острое кровотечение: in the first hours, Hb can appear near-normal before fluid shifts occur, so a reassuring Hb does not exclude significant blood loss.
Values that can be misinterpreted rather than wrong
- Concurrent iron deficiency and thalassaemia trait or B12 deficiency: opposing effects can normalise the MCV and mask both.
- Recent transfusion, iron infusion or B12 injection: changes indices for weeks and can obscure the original pattern.
- Percentages without absolute counts: a "high lymphocyte percentage" may simply reflect a low neutrophil count.
If a result does not fit your clinical picture, a repeat sample is often the correct next step rather than immediate treatment.
Риски и безопасность
A CBC requires a blood sample, so the risks are those of venepuncture rather than of the test itself. Risk varies with the sampling method and the person's condition.
Standard venous blood draw in adults
Common and minor: brief pain, a small bruise, and short-lived tenderness. Less common: a larger haematoma, light-headedness or fainting, and repeated attempts if veins are difficult. Uncommon: local infection at the puncture site, nerve irritation causing tingling, or inflammation of the vein.
People on anticoagulants, with liver disease or with low platelets
Bruising and haematoma are more likely, and pressure needs to be held longer. Tell the staff in advance.
Heel or finger prick in infants and children
Brief pain and a small bruise are typical. Sample volumes are kept small. Excessive squeezing can haemolyse the sample and force a repeat, which is why technique matters.
Повторный отбор проб в больнице
Frequent CBCs in inpatients, particularly small or critically ill patients, contribute to cumulative blood loss. Sampling frequency should be clinically justified.
Results and experience vary depending on individual clinical circumstances.
Тревожные сигналы: когда следует обратиться за помощью
Экстренная ситуация.
- Heavy or uncontrolled bleeding, vomiting blood, black tarry stools, or bleeding that will not stop after pressure.
- Fever with shaking chills, confusion, very low blood pressure or severe breathlessness, especially if you are on chemotherapy or known to have a very low neutrophil count.
- Chest pain, fainting, severe breathlessness at rest, or collapse.
- Widespread new bruising, blood blisters in the mouth, or a rash of pinpoint red spots that does not fade on pressure.
- In known or suspected dengue: severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding from gums or nose, cold clammy skin, drowsiness or a rapid drop in urine output.
- New one-sided weakness, slurred speech or sudden severe headache.
В тот же день
- A report labelled critical, panic value or urgent, or a laboratory telephone call about your result.
- Very low haemoglobin, a very low platelet count, a very low neutrophil count, or blast cells reported on the smear.
- Fever above 38癈 while on chemotherapy, immunosuppressants or anti-thyroid drugs.
- New breathlessness on mild activity, chest tightness on exertion, or palpitations with marked pallor.
- Rapidly enlarging lymph nodes with fever, drenching night sweats or bone pain.
Плановый прием
- Mildly abnormal counts with no symptoms, take the report to the doctor who ordered it.
- Persistent tiredness, hair fall, pica, heavy periods, or known iron deficiency needing review.
- A mildly low MCV, a family history of thalassaemia, or planning a pregnancy and wanting carrier testing.
- Stable eosinophilia with allergy or suspected worm infestation.
- Symptoms that persist even though the CBC was normal, a normal CBC does not exclude disease and further assessment may be needed.
Особые ситуации
беременность
Haemoglobin and haematocrit fall physiologically from dilution, mild leucocytosis is normal, and a modest fall in platelet count (gestational thrombocytopenia) is common. Anaemia in pregnancy is common in India and needs assessment of cause rather than assumption of iron deficiency. A falling platelet count with high blood pressure, headache, visual disturbance or upper abdominal pain requires urgent obstetric review.
Новорожденные и дети
Newborns normally have high haemoglobin and high MCV, both of which fall over the first months, the "physiological nadir" is not disease. Lymphocyte predominance is normal in infancy. Nutritional iron deficiency is frequent in Indian toddlers, and a low MCV in a child should also prompt consideration of thalassaemia trait. Always use age-specific reference ranges.
Пожилые люди
Anaemia in an older adult is not a normal part of ageing and deserves investigation. Causes include occult gastrointestinal blood loss, chronic kidney disease, chronic inflammation, B12 deficiency and marrow disorders. New persistent lymphocytosis or unexplained pancytopenia needs haematology assessment.
Люди с диабетом, получающие сахароснижающую терапию.
The CBC itself needs no fasting. If bundled fasting tests require you to delay a meal, arrange the timing with your prescriber to avoid hypoglycaemia. Anaemia is common in diabetes with kidney involvement and also affects HbA1c reliability, which is why the CBC and HbA1c are often read together.
Хроническая болезнь почек
Reduced erythropoietin production commonly causes anaemia. CBC trends guide iron and erythropoiesis-stimulating agent decisions made by the nephrologist. Avoid venepuncture in a fistula arm or an arm being preserved for future access.
Сердечная недостаточность
Diuretics and fluid shifts alter haematocrit, so a single reading can mislead; trends are more useful. Anaemia and iron deficiency are common in heart failure and are assessed with iron studies alongside the CBC.
Лечение рака
Counts are monitored before and between cycles. Fever with a low neutrophil count is a medical emergency, not something to observe at home.
The Complete Blood Count in the Indian context
- Anaemia is highly prevalent. National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21) reported high anaemia prevalence among Indian women of reproductive age, children under five and adolescent girls. This is why a low haemoglobin on a CBC is common, but common does not mean it needs no explanation.
- Haemoglobinopathies are widespread. Beta-thalassaemia trait, HbE and sickle cell trait occur across many Indian communities. A persistently low MCV and MCH with a normal or high RBC count, not corrected by iron, should prompt haemoglobin electrophoresis or HPLC rather than open-ended iron therapy. Carrier screening before marriage or pregnancy is relevant where there is a family history or a high-prevalence community background.
- Iron deficiency and haemoglobinopathy often coexist, which complicates interpretation of MCV and RDW.
- Infections that shape CBC interpretation: dengue (falling platelets, rising haematocrit, leucopenia), malaria (thrombocytopenia; smear or rapid antigen test needed), typhoid, chikungunya, scrub typhus, tuberculosis and leptospirosis. Parasitic infestation is a frequent cause of eosinophilia.
- Drug effects: anti-tubercular therapy, anti-epileptics, anti-thyroid drugs, methotrexate and some antibiotics can suppress counts. Herbal, AYUSH and unregulated gym or weight-loss supplements are also relevant and should be disclosed.
- Nutritional B12 deficiency is common, including in predominantly vegetarian diets, and presents with macrocytosis or as a mixed picture.
- Защита личных данных: laboratory reports and any online booking or report-download tool handle personal health data, governed in India by the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Ask how your report is stored and shared, and use official portals.
- Рекламные стандарты: claims that a blood test can "cure" or "detect everything" are not permissible under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. Be sceptical of health-package marketing that promises diagnosis from a CBC alone.
Стоимость и страхование в Индии
A CBC is among the least expensive laboratory tests in India. Indicative retail pricing in the private sector commonly falls in the low hundreds of rupees, typically around ?150-?500 for a CBC with differential count. Government hospitals and public health facilities often provide the test free or at a nominal charge. Prices are indicative only and change; confirm the current charge with the laboratory before testing.
Factors that affect what you pay
- Standalone CBC versus a bundled health package: packages cost more but include other tests.
- Whether a peripheral smear review, reticulocyte count or ESR is added.
- Тип объекта: public hospital, standalone collection centre, chain laboratory, or accredited hospital laboratory.
- Accreditation and quality systems (for example NABL accreditation), internal and external quality control programmes.
- Сбор образцов на дому and any convenience or transport fee.
- Urgent or stat processing, and after-hours or holiday testing.
- Город и местностьЦены в крупных городах, как правило, отличаются от цен в небольших населенных пунктах.
- Повторное тестирование for monitoring, which multiplies total cost.
Страховка
Outpatient diagnostic tests are often not covered by basic indemnity health insurance unless the policy includes an OPD or diagnostics benefit. A CBC done during an admission or as part of pre-authorised day-care treatment is usually covered as part of the hospital bill, subject to policy terms. Tests done purely for routine screening are commonly excluded. Some policies include a preventive health check-up benefit that covers a CBC. Check your specific policy wording and, where applicable, government scheme entitlements such as Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY for eligible beneficiaries.
Мифы и факты
| Миф | Факт |
|---|---|
| A normal CBC means I am healthy. | A CBC assesses blood cells only. It does not check the heart, kidneys, liver, thyroid, glucose or most cancers. A normal CBC does not exclude serious disease. |
| A CBC can detect cancer. | A CBC may show abnormalities in some blood cancers, but many cancers occur with a normal CBC. A CBC is not a cancer screening test. |
| High WBC count means I need antibiotics. | WBC counts rise with viral infection, inflammation, stress, steroids, smoking and pregnancy. Antibiotic decisions are clinical, not based on a count alone. |
| Low haemoglobin always means iron deficiency. | Lo
×
Запрос Обратный звонок
|
Лучшая больница рядом со мной в Ченнаи