Complete blood count - Complete blood count

more requests, as its results help keep a person's general health under control.
Also called blood count, this test consists in the evaluation of the different parameters that refer to the main components of the blood:

• Number of all blood cells, i.e. red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes) and platelets (thrombocytes);
• Leukocyte formula, i.e. the percentage of different types of white blood cells: neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils;
• Proportion of blood volume occupied by erythrocytes (hematocrit);
• Analysis of the physical characteristics (shape and size) of red blood cells and platelets, indicated by parameters such as:
• MCV (measure of the average size of red blood cells);
• MCH (average hemoglobin content in red blood cells);
• MCHC (mean hemoglobin concentration in red blood cells);
• RDW (variability in the size of red blood cells);
• MPV (measure of the average size of a plate).

). These cells are produced in the bone marrow and, when mature, are released into the bloodstream.
Usually, the blood count is performed using automated tools that measure various parameters, including the count of the various types of cells present in the blood sample analyzed. The test also provides an indication of the physical characteristics of some of these elements.
A standard blood count therefore includes:

• Evaluation of red blood cells (or erythrocytes): they represent the most numerous blood cells. The erythrocytes have the shape of a biconcave disc (slightly flattened in the center) and have a characteristic red color (hence the name) due to their hemoglobin content, (iron-containing protein, necessary to transport oxygen in the blood).
  Red blood cells live an average of 120 days in the circulatory system and are subsequently removed in the spleen; for this, the bone marrow must continuously produce new ones, in order to replace the elements that are dead, destroyed or lost during a bleeding.
  Evaluation of red blood cells in the blood count includes: RBC count, hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct) and red blood cell indices, which include mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean hemoglobin concentration in the corpuscles (MCHC), and, sometimes, the amplitude of the red cell distribution (RDW). The blood count may or may not include reticulocyte counts (precursors of mature red blood cells).
• Evaluation of white blood cells (or leukocytes): these cellular elements of the blood are responsible for the defense of the organism against infectious agents, foreign substances and other causes of damage. Leukocytes also play an important role in allergies and inflammation.
  White blood cells are divided into two subgroups: granulocytes (eosinophils, neutrophils and basophils) and mononuclear cells (lymphocytes and monocytes).
  The white blood cell count (evaluation of the total number of leukocytes present in the blood sample) is part of the blood count. These cells are present in the blood in a relatively constant amount; their number can increase or decrease temporarily, in relation to what happens in the organism.
  The blood count may or may not include the differential count of white blood cells (leukocyte formula). This information identifies and counts the number of various types of leukocytes present and is used to understand if an "infection," allergy is in progress in the body. or a strong stress response In some conditions, such as leukemia, abnormal white blood cells (immature or mature) multiply rapidly, increasing their overall count.
• Evaluation of platelets (or thrombocytes): they are the smallest blood cells; they have the shape of small discs and are produced by the bone marrow. Platelets have an average life of 10 days and play an important role in blood clotting.
  Following trauma or small lesions in the blood vessel walls, the thrombocytes are transported to the area affected by the blood and attach themselves along the edges of the wound, progressively blocking the bleeding. Any alterations to them can increase the risk of excessive bleeding or predispose the formation of bruising.
  In the blood count, the count of these cell types is usually predicted; the assessment may or may not include the mean platelet volume (MPV) and / or the amplitude of platelet distribution (PDW).

, recurrent infections, inflammation, bleeding disorders or tumors. In this way, the doctor can ascertain his suspicions and possibly prescribe more targeted tests to define a precise clinical picture.
The blood count is also used to monitor the disease and / or the effectiveness of treatments, after the diagnosis has been established.