CBC (includes Differential and Platelets)

The Complete Blood Count (CBC) with Differential measures and evaluates the components of your blood cells, including red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body. Abnormal levels can help identify conditions such as anemia, malnutrition, leukemia, etc. White blood cells are essential to your immune system, and abnormal levels may mean your body is fighting an infection. Platelets help your blood clot normally.

The CBC provides valuable information from measurements of the type, number, and size of cells in your blood. For example, red blood cell measurements include the number of red blood cells, or RBC count, the amounts of hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and red cell distribution width (RDW). Measurements of white blood cells include the number of cells or WBC count and measures of the different kinds of white blood cells—this is what “differential” means. In addition, the CBC provides information about your neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils, the number, and count, platelets, and mean platelet volume (MPV).