What a complete blood count shows

Red cells carry oxygen, and haemoglobin is the protein inside them that holds it. Our report gives a haemoglobin range of 120 to 155 g/L for women and 130 to 170 g/L for men. Low haemoglobin means anaemia; the other values point to the cause.

MCV is the size of the red cells. Small red cells most often come with iron deficiency, and then the doctor orders ferritin. In Azerbaijan another common cause is being a carrier of inherited thalassaemia: if ferritin is normal, the doctor checks for it. Large red cells appear when vitamin B12 or folate is low.

White cells fight infection. The differential counts their five types separately: neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils. Neutrophils usually rise with a bacterial infection, lymphocytes with a virus, and eosinophils with allergies and worms.

Hard exercise, stress and smoking push white cells up a little. So skip hard training the day before and sit for 10 to 15 minutes before the sample.

Platelets stop bleeding; the range is 150 to 400 ×10⁹/L. If the count is low or bruises come easily, the doctor usually orders a coagulation panel.

Next to each value is the range for your age and sex. A range covers 95% of healthy people, so in a healthy person one or two of the 26 values can sit just outside it. Your doctor reads the result with all the values together.

A complete blood count costs ₼12. No fasting is needed; leave 4 hours after a light breakfast. If the sample is taken by 12:00, the result is ready at 18:00 the same day. ESR is a separate test, taken at the same visit.