Interpreting lab results.

So many folks bring in their lab results, I thought it might be a good idea to help explain what some of the results mean so you can have a better idea of what you are looking at.

A CBC (complete blood count) report will include the following:

Platelet count and wat it means:
Platelets or thrombocytes help stop bleeding. They look like little pieces of torn paper under the microscope. The measurement in a CBC should be in the range of 150 to 400. Problems can signal thrombocytopenia (too few platelets), leukemia, or drug side effects.

HGB (hemoglobin value):
Hemoglobin is the protein that carried oxygen and you will see this way; g/dl or grams per decaliter. The range for men is 13.5 to 17.5 and 12 to 16 for women. When hemoglobin is low the body cannot carry oxygen and may result in fatigue.

HCT (hematocrit value):
This number is the percentage of your blood that consists of red blood cells (RBC's). A decrease in HCT indicates anemia, bleeding, some cancers, and chemotherapy side effcts. (This also applies to HGB)

RBC count (red blood cells):
In men a normal RBC count in men is 4.5 to 6 for men and 4.2 to 5.4 for women. It may sound simplistic but the function of RBC's is to carry oxygen to the tissues and carry off carbon dioxide. Too few and blood gases like CO2 are not carried off properly.

WBC count (white blood cells or leukocytes):
WBC's are your body's army that fight off invaders. Normal in a CBC is 4 to 11. There are differential counts and absolute counts. A decrease in any of these can signal serious problems like bone marrow failure or infections. However, it is important to differentiate which WBC's are being counted. For example, eosinophils signal a parasitic infection and/or allergies or both.

You should know these simple few abbreviations because too often your PCP may not have the time to devote to interpreting these for you. Also, since these tests are performed by automated equipment, ask your doctor if the lab is reliable. It can be a huge difference in your treatment.

Above all....ALWAYS ASK!