Complete Blood Count

Complete blood count (CBC). The CBC (also called the full blood count [FBC]) is one of the most widely performed tests in the world. It was originally performed by manual methods, but today is generated using automated technology. The CBC includes counts for white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. In addition, it provides hemoglobin and hematocrit. Finally, it provides 3 red cell indices: (1) mean corpuscular volume (MCV), (2) mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and (3) mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH). On most modern analyzers, MCV, hemoglobin, and red cell count are directly measured, whereas Hct, MCHC and MCH are calculated. The CBC also includes the red cell distribution width (RDW).

Another perspective:

Normal values for red cell indices:

Food for thought:

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