What it means
Part of the complete blood countkum-PLEET blud kowntA common blood test that counts and measures the red cells, white cells and platelets in the blood.Full entry . It measures the number of white blood cells (white blood cellwite blud selA blood cell that is part of the immune system and helps the body fight infection and other foreign material.Full entry ) and is often reported with a differential, which shows the share of each type, such as neutrophils and lymphocytes. A high count can come with infection, inflammation, stress, steroids or leukemia. A low count can come with chemotherapy, some drugs, bone marrow problems or severe infection, and raises the risk of infection.
For the nurse
For a low count, especially a low neutrophil count, follow neutropenic precautions: hand hygiene, no sick visitors and report a fever right away.
At a glance
| Normal range | About 5,000–10,000/mm³ [5–10 × 10⁹/L]; some labs use 4,500–11,000/mm³. |
|---|---|
| Abbreviations | WBC |
| Also written | WBC count, leukocyte count, leukocyte counts, white cell count, white count |
Related terms
complete blood count
A common blood test that counts and measures the red cells, white cells and platelets in the blood.
white blood cell
A blood cell that is part of the immune system and helps the body fight infection and other foreign material.
neutropenia
A lower than normal number of neutrophils, the white blood cells that fight bacterial infection first.