MRC offers blood cell counters for conducting quick differential counts.
A complete blood count will normally include:
White cells
Total white blood cells — All the white cell types are given as a percentage and as an absolute number per liter.
Red cells
Total red blood cells — The number of red cells is given as an absolute number per liter. (Iron deficiency Anemia shows up as a Low RBC count.)
Hemoglobin
Hemoglobin – The amount of hemoglobin in the blood, expressed in grams per deciliter. (A low level of Hemoglobin is a sign of anemia.)
Hematocrit
Hematocrit or packed cell volume (PCV) – This is the fraction of whole blood volume that consists of red blood cells.
MCV
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) – the average volume of the red cells, measured in femtolitres. Anemia is classified as microcytic or macrocytic if the MCV value is above or below the expected normal range; anemias are classified as normocytic if the MCV is within the expected range. Other conditions that can affect MCV include thalassemia, reticulocytosis, alcoholism, chemotherapy, Vitamin B12 deficiency, and/or Folic acid deficiency.
MCH
Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) – the average amount of hemoglobin per red blood cell, in picograms.
MCHC
Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) – the average concentration of hemoglobin in the cells.
RDW
Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) – the variation in cellular volume of the RBC population.
A complete blood count with differential/platelet will also include:
Neutrophil granulocytes — May indicate bacterial infection. Less mature neutrophils — those that have recently been released from the bone marrow into the
bloodstream — are known as "bands" or "stabs". Stab is a German term for rod.
Lymphocytes — Higher with some viral infections such as glandular fever
Monocytes — May be raised in bacterial infection, tuberculosis, malaria, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, monocytic leukemia, chronic ulcerative colitis and regional enteritis
Eosinophil granulocytes — Increased in parasitic infections, asthma, or allergic reaction.
Basophil granulocytes — May be increased in bone marrow related conditions such as leukemia or lymphoma.