Blood Counts

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Red blood cells

  • Carry oxygen to the body
  • Allow food to be used for energy
  • Provide color to skin and nail beds
  • Measured as hemoglobin (HGB or HB)

Normal Level: Greater than 12 grams

OK Level: Greater than 7 grams

Special Care for Low Levels

  • Watch for signs, such as feeling very tired with no energy, very irritable, and pale cheeks and lips
  • Watch for signs of a very low level, such as headaches, dizziness, fast heart rate, or shortness of breath
  • Have rest periods
  • May need a blood transfusion

Platelets

  • Prevent internal bleeding
  • Help clotting with injury
  • Measured as platelets (PLT)

Normal Level: 150,000 to 400,000 (150 to 400 K)

OK Level: Greater than 100,000 (100 K)

Low Level: Less than 50,000 (50 K)

Special care for low levels

  • Watch for signs of internal bleeding, such as:
    • Easy or bad bruising
    • Unusual bleeding (petechiae)
    • Bleeding longer than normal
    • Bleeding longer than normal with menstrual period
    • Blood in urine, stool (poop), or vomit (throw up)
  • Put pressure on an area of bleeding for 5 to 20 minutes to stop it
  • May need a platelet transfusion

White blood cells

  • Fight infections
  • Measured as white blood cells (WBC)

Normal level: 4,000 to 12,000 (4 to 12 K)

Special Care for Low Levels

  • Watch for a fever (1 temperature above 101° F or 2 temperatures above 100.4° F at least 1 hour apart in 24 hours)
  • Do not give Tylenol® for a fever
  • Watch wounds for signs of infection, such as redness, tenderness, warmth, swelling or drainage

Neutrophils

  • A type of white blood cell that fights bacterial infections
  • Also called Segs (mature) and Bands (young)

Normal Level: 1550 to 6500

OK Level: Great than 1,000

Low Level (Neutropenic): Less than 500

WBC x the perfect of neutrophils in the differential blood test = the Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC)

Segs + Bands = ANC