Testing/Monitoring

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  • What is a normal blood count and what do blood test abbreviations mean?

    Physicians use a blood test known as a Complete Blood Count, or CBC, to understand a patient's overall health and the health of blood cells. The test results show the counts of all types of blood cells, as well as how those cells are differentiated. The following table will help you sort through the differing counts and understand the meaning of the abbreviations.

    Normal Blood Counts as shown on a Complete Blood Count
    (CBC) w/ Differential
    TYPE DESCRIPTION ABBREVIATION  NORMAL RANGE   UNITS OF MEASURE
    Red Blood Cells Hematocrit HCT 38.8 - 50 Percent
      Hemoglobin HB 130 - 180 Grams/Liter
      Mean Corpuscular
    Hemaglobin    		 MCH 28.0 - 32.0 Picograms
      Mean Corpuscular 
    Hemoglobin Concentration    		 MCHC 310 - 360 Grams/Liter
      Mean Corpuscular Volume MCV 78 - 96 Femtoliters
    (a quadrillionth of a Liter) 
      Mean Platelet Volume MPV 5.0 - 15.0 Femtoliters
    (a quadrillionth of a liter)
      Platelet Count   150 - 400

    109 / Liter
    (billion/liter)
      Red Blood Cell Count or
    Erythrocytes     		 RBC or ERCS 4.00 - 6.00

    1012 / Liter (trillion/liter)
      Red Blood Cell
    Distribution Width     		 RDW 10.0 - 14.5%  
    White Blood Cells White Blood Cells
    Count or Leukocytes     		 WBC or LKCS 4.0 - 11.0

    109 / Liter
    (billion/liter)
    Differential (the types of white blood cells that make up the total white count) 
      Basophils   0 - 0.3 109 / Liter
    (billion/liter)
      Eosinophils   0 - 0.7 109 / Liter
    (billion/liter) 
      Neutrophils   2.5 - 7.5 109 / Liter
    (billion/liter) 
      Lymphocytes   1.0 - 4.0 109 / Liter
    (billion/liter) 
      Monocytes   0 - 4.0

    109 / Liter
    (billion/liter)

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