Wednesday, May 19, 2010
How Full Blood Count tells about Dengue
What is full blood count (FBC) Labels: Dengue Fever, Medical Examination
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.
White blood cells are responsible for protecting the body from invasion by foreign substances such as bacteria, fungi and viruses, and also control the immune process.
Platelets help the blood clotting process by plugging holes in broken blood vessels. Helps to stop wound bleeding.
What is Haemoglobin
Haemoglobin is an iron-containing protein attached to the red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the other parts of the body, exchanging for carbon dioxide at cellular level. Carbon dioxide is then transported back to the lungs, ready to be exhaled out of the body. Whether haemoglobin binds with oxygen or carbon dioxide depends on the relative concentration of each around the red blood cell. When it reaches the oxygen-rich lungs, it releases the less-abundant carbon dioxide to bind with oxygen; when it goes back out into the body where cells are producing carbon dioxide, it releases the oxygen and binds with carbon dioxide.
MCV, MCH, and MCHC values reflect the size and hemoglobin concentration of individual cells, and are useful in diagnosing different types of anemia.
Male: 4.7 to 6.1 million cells/mcL
Female: 4.2 to 5.4 million cells/mcL
White Blood Counts: 4,500 to 10,000 cells/mcL
Hematocrit (varies with altitude):
Male: 40.7 to 50.3 %
Female: 36.1 to 44.3 %
Hemoglobin (varies with altitude):
Male: 13.8 to 17.2 gm/dL
Female: 12.1 to 15.1 gm/dL
MCV: 80 to 95 femtoliter
MCH: 27 to 31 pg/cell
MCHC: 32 to 36 gm/dL
(cells/mcL = cells per microliter; gm/dL = grams per deciliter; pg/cell = picograms per cell)
A full blood count (FBC) characteristically reveals an abnormal decrease in white blood cells (leukopenia). Diagnosis of dengue infection is supported if there is thrombocytopaenia, commonly seen in dengue infection. Large increases in antibody levels of 4 times or greater help confirm the disease.
FBC costs only $15 per person, and for students, the doctor may charge you $10 for student-price.
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