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It consists of a combination of tests which analyze the ceIlular make up of the blood. Some specific analyses of the CBC are as follows: Hematocrit The hematocrit represents the percentage of the blood volume which is comprised by red blood cells. If forty percent of the blood consists of red blood cells then the hematocrit is 40 volumes percent. A low hematocrit is a sign of anemia. Such anemia may be from nutritional factors, blood loss (bleeding) or other disease processes. Hemoglobin Hemoglobin makes up about 1/3 of all red blood cells. As such, it is directly proportional to the hematocrit. Hemoglobin is the chemical which allows blood to carry oxygen from the lungs. Iron is important in the chemical structure of hemoglobin. A low hemoglobin also represents anemia. White Blood Count White blood cells are a normal component of blood. Their primary function is as a defense against infections. An elevated white blood cell count may be a sign of infection. Some viral infections may lower the white blood count. There are 5 different types of white blood cells. Increases or decreases in these cells may indicate particular medical conditions. Platelets Blood platelets are a component of blood which is important in blood clotting (to stop bleeding). Platelets act by "sticking" to each other and "clotting" the bleeding site. Aspirin affects the clotting of blood by decreasing the effectiveness of platelets. It is common for people to have a number of blood chemicals analyzed at once. This is often called a Chem Profile. Some of the chemicals and their meanings are as follows: Sodium (NA) - Potassium (K) - Chloride (Cl) - Bicarbonate (HCO3). These four "electrolytes" are routinely evaluated. Their abnormal values may represent problems of salt/water or acid/base balance. They may be abnormal from dehydration, vomiting, medications, kidney problems, or more. Albumin (Alb) is the primary protein found in blood. It represents over 1/2 of the protein in blood. Its depressed value may represent malnutrition, liver disease or more. Bilirubin (Bil) is the yellow substance in blood which when elevated causes someone to be jaundiced. This may occur from liver problems, bile duct obstruction, excessive red cell destruction or more. Alkaline Phosphatase (Alk) is an enzyme which occurs in the blood and comes from the liver and from bone. Abnormalities often occur from liver or bone disease. Elevated values are common and normal in children. Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) - Creatinine (Cr) These chemicals are often elevated in cases of dehydration or kidney disease. Glucose testing is primarily done to screen for diabetes. Glucose is the common blood sugar and its elevation may indicate diabetes. Calcium (Ca) is found mostly in the skeleton. It is, however, an important element in the blood. It is an important factor in bone formation, parathyroid metabolism, kidney disease, Vitamin D metabolism and more. Uric Acid is a chemical which is most commonly elevated in gout. Gout is caused by uric acid crystals getting into joints and causing arthritic-like pain. SGOT (AST) and (ALT) is an enzyme found mostly in the liver but also in the heart, the muscles, the kidneys, the pancreas and in red blood cells. High elevations may be associated with liver disease or muscle trauma. Elevations may also be associated with a variety of conditions including myocardial infarction (heart attack), pancreatitis, bile duct obstruction and more. SGPT is also an enzyme found mostly in the liver. Unlike SGOT, SGPT has much less enzyme outside the liver. Its elevation is usually more specific to direct liver disease. Iron is an element important in hemoglobin and its ability to carry oxygen. Low serum iron may be present in iron deficiency anemia. Also measures for antibodies
to Lyme disease and Mononucleosis. |