Full Blood Count
Also known as: FBC
Related tests: Haemoglobin, Haematocrit, Red blood cell (RBC) count, White blood cell (WBC) count, White blood cell differential count, Platelet count
The Test Sample
What is being tested?
The full blood count (FBC) is one of the most commonly ordered tests and provides important information about the kinds and numbers of cells in the blood: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Abnormalities in any of these types of cells can indicate the presence of important medical disorders.
Blood is composed of a variety of living cells that circulate through the heart, arteries and veins carrying nourishment, hormones, vitamins, antibodies, heat and oxygen to the body's tissues. Blood contains three main components — red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets — suspended in fluid, called plasma. Red blood cells contain haemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen to all the tissues of the body. Among other functions, white blood cells are responsible for protecting the body from invasion by foreign substances such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. White blood cells also control the immune process. Platelets help the blood clotting process by plugging holes in broken blood vessels.
Blood is composed of a variety of living cells that circulate through the heart, arteries and veins carrying nourishment, hormones, vitamins, antibodies, heat and oxygen to the body's tissues. Blood contains three main components — red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets — suspended in fluid, called plasma. Red blood cells contain haemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen to all the tissues of the body. Among other functions, white blood cells are responsible for protecting the body from invasion by foreign substances such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. White blood cells also control the immune process. Platelets help the blood clotting process by plugging holes in broken blood vessels.
How is the sample collected for testing?
The CBC is performed on a blood sample taken by a needle placed in a vein in the arm or by a finger-prick (for children and adults) or heel-prick (for infants).
NOTE: If undergoing medical tests makes you or someone you care for anxious, embarrassed, or even difficult to manage, you might consider reading one or more of the following articles: Coping with Test Pain, Discomfort, and Anxiety, Tips on Blood Testing, Tips to Help Children through Their Medical Tests, and Tips to Help the Elderly through Their Medical Tests.
Another article, Follow That Sample, provides a glimpse at the collection and processing of a blood sample and throat culture.
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