Complete Blood Count (CBC) Without Differential and ESR

Complete Blood Count (CBC) Without Differential and ESR, also known as a complete blood count, is used to appraise overall hematologic status; to identify and characterize anemia and polycythemia; to assess leukocytosis or leukopenia in the context of infection, inflammation, or suspected bone marrow disorders; and to evaluate thrombocytopenia or thrombocytosis in hemostatic or marrow conditions. It is also employed to monitor response to therapy and to surveil for hematologic adverse effects of medications. The leukocyte differential and erythrocyte sedimentation rate are not part of this order.

This CBC enumerates leukocytes, erythrocytes, and platelets in whole blood and reports indices that describe cell size and hemoglobin content. Reported parameters are WBC, RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), red cell distribution width (RDW), platelet count, and mean platelet volume (MPV). Red cell indices support classification of anemia, and the platelet count informs evaluation of bleeding tendency and thrombotic risk. A leukocyte differential is not included in this panel. When morphologic assessment is needed, a peripheral blood smear review is ordered separately.