Complete Blood Count
A complete blood count (CBC) is a test panel requested by a doctor or other medical professional that gives information about the cells in a patient's blood. A scientist or lab technician performs the requested testing and provides the requesting medical professional with the results of the CBC. In the past, counting the cells in a patient's blood was performed manually, by viewing a slide prepared with a sample of the patient's blood under a microscope. Today, this process is generally automated by use of an automated analyzer, with only approximately 10-20% of samples now being examined manually. Abnormally high or low counts may indicate the presence of many forms of disease, and hence blood counts are amongst the most commonly performed blood tests in medicine, as they can provide an overview of a patient's general health status.
Read more about this topic: Blood Cell
Famous quotes containing the words complete, blood and/or count:
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
—Constitution of the World Health Organization.
“I see His blood upon the rose,
And in the stars the glory of His eyes
His body gleams amid eternal snows,
His tears fall from the skies.”
—Joseph Mary Plunkett (1887–1916)
“While fortune smiles, you’ll count your friends by scores;
If the sky clouds over, you will be alone.”
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso)