RoutineCBC

RoutineCBC refers to the routine use of a complete blood count (CBC) in clinical practice to assess hematologic status and overall health. The CBC is a laboratory test that enumerates and characterizes the cells circulating in blood, providing information that supports diagnosis, monitoring, and screening.

A typical CBC measures several components: red blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, and red blood cell indices such as mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. It also includes white blood cell count and platelet count. In many settings, a differential white blood cell count is reported alongside the CBC, detailing proportions of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils. Some laboratories add a reticulocyte count or other specialized tests when indicated.

Indications for RoutineCBC include routine physical examinations, preoperative assessment, and monitoring of chronic diseases or therapies that affect blood cells, such as iron deficiency, infection, inflammation, anemia, or bone marrow disorders. It serves as a first-line tool to detect abnormal hematologic status and to guide further testing.

Procedure and reporting are straightforward: a blood sample is drawn from a vein, usually into an appropriately anticoagulated or EDTA-containing tube, and analyzed by automated hematology equipment. Results are interpreted against reference ranges that vary by age, sex, and population.

Interpretation requires clinical context; abnormal results are not diagnostic on their own and often prompt repeat testing or follow-up investigations. Limitations include preanalytic factors, biological variation, and laboratory-specific reference ranges. RoutineCBC remains a foundational, widely used screening and monitoring test in medicine.