What is the full form of CBC?

What is CBC?

CBC stands for Complete Blood Count. This is a blood test which is conducted to know about different kinds of conditions like anemia, blood infection, leukemia, and a lot more. The following is measured in a CBC test −

• Red blood cells (RBC) whose task is to carry oxygen

• White blood cells (WBC) which fight infections and microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, etc.

• Haemoglobin, a protein in the red blood cells that carry oxygen

• Haematocrit is the amount of RBC in the blood

• Plate lets, whose job is to clot the blood

• Mean corpuscular volume is the measurement of the average size of red blood cells If there is an unusual increase or decrease in these cells, then other tests are recommended

Reasons for carrying the test

There are many reasons which lead to go for a CBC test. These reasons are as follows −

Checking the health of the body

The main aim of conducting the test is to check for anemia and leukemia. Besides this, the test is also conducted for different other conditions.

Diagnosis of a medical condition

The CBC test is done to know about weakness, fatigue, and fever. The results can also tell the reasons for fatigue bruising, swelling, and pain.

Check conditions that affect blood counts

CBC test is conducted to check different conditions which can result in an unusual increase or decrease in the blood count.

Preparation for the test

If a complete blood count has to be taken, then you can eat and drink as per your routine before the time of the test. In other cases, you may have to wait for eating and drinking before the test. Your health care provider will let you know the time of taking food.

Counts of CBC Test

The counts of the CBC test given below are based on the blood sample of the adults.

Aspect	Male	Female
Red Blood Cells	4.35 trillion to 5.65 trillion cells per liter	3.92 trillion to 5.13 trillion cells per liter
Haemoglobin	132 to 166 grams/liter	116 to 150 grams/liter
Haematocrit	38.3% to 48.6%	35.3% to 44.9%
White Blood Cells	3.4 billion to 9.6 billion cells per liter	3.4 billion to 9.6 billion cells per liter
Platelets	135 billion to 317 billion /liter	157 billion to 371 billion /liter

Results

Results can be above or below the given count and they are discussed below −

Red Blood Cell Count, Haemoglobin, Haematocrit

All these items are related to each other because they let the doctors know about the measure of each feature of red blood cells. If the count of RBC is lower than the required, it can lead to anemia, which can be caused due to the deficiency of iron and vitamins. Another result which the test shows is blood loss. People who suffer from anemia feel weak and tired. If the count of the RBC is higher than the required, it can be the cause of blood cancer or heart disease. The higher RBC count is known as erythrocytosis.

White Blood Cells

If the count of White Blood Cells (WBC) is low, it can cause an autoimmune disorder in which white blood cells are destroyed and problems in bone marrow also occur. It can also lead to cancer. The count of WBC also goes down due to the effect of some medicines.

If the number of WBCs is higher than the required amount, it can cause inflammation. Other results include a disease in the bone marrow or an autoimmune system disorder.

Platelet Count

If the platelet count is more than the required amount, it is called thrombocytopenia. The higher amount of platelets is known as thrombocytosis. Both conditions can occur due to the effect of any medicine.

Measurement of White Blood Cells

White blood cells are also known as leukocytes. These cells are related to the immune system as they fight infections, microorganisms, and foreign particles. WBCs are of many types and they are discussed below.

Basophils

Basophils are the WBCs that let people know about infection at the early stage. They are also responsible to heal a wound respond to allergic reactions.

Eosinophils

These WBCs become active when there is some allergy or infection.

Lymphocytes

Lymphocytes are available in the form of B-cells and T-cells. And fight bacteria and viruses in the lymph system and blood.

Monocytes

Monocytes and Neutrophils work together to fight with infections. The other responsibility of monocytes is to remove damaged and dead cells.

Neutrophils

These are the highest number of WBCs and bone marrow is the source of their production. These cells are responsible for fighting infections and microorganisms.

How the blood is taken out?

There are a few steps which have to be followed by a doctor or a compounder to extract blood for testing.

• The place in the hand is wiped with alcohol

• A strap known as a tourniquet is tied around the area so that the vein is clearly visible

• A needle is pierced into the vein and a test tube is attached to extract the blood

• The test is over after the test tube is filled with blood

Advantages of CBC

CBC has many advantages and some of them are listed below −

• Know about the counts of RBCs, WBCs, and platelets

• The count will tell whether the amount of RBCs, WBCs, and platelets are available in the required amount and are not deficient or greater

• CBC test is a little painful

Conclusion

CBC can be expanded to Complete Blood Count. This is a test in which blood is taken out to know about the total count of RBCs, WBCs, and platelets. The test is beneficial as people know about any disease they are suffering from but are unknown to it.

FAQs

1 What is the full form of CBC?

CBC stands for Complete Blood Count.

2 Why this test is conducted?

This test is conducted to know the count of WBCs, RBCs, and platelets.

3 What is hemoglobin?

Haemoglobin is a protein that is used to carry oxygen. It is present in the red blood cells.

4 How many types of white blood cells are there?

There are five types of white blood cells which include Basophils, Eosinophils, Lymphocytes, Monocytes, and Neutrophils.

5 What happens if CBC count is not perfect?

In such a case, doctors may ask for other tests.