| Peer-Reviewed

Complete Blood Cell Count and Peripheral Blood Film, Its Significant in Laboratory Medicine: A Review Study

Received: 10 September 2016    Accepted: 1 October 2016    Published: 29 November 2016
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

The aim of this review is to assist non-hematologist effective means of interpreting complete blood cell (CBC) counts results especially when encountered with abnormal result for intellectually rewarding practice and to recognize when a subspecialty consultation is reasonable and when it may be circumvented. A complete blood cell count is routine hematology tests in medicine useful for the differential diagnosis of anemia and other medical conditions. A good percentage of CBC results are reported as abnormal, therefore it is in every clinician’s interest to have some understanding of the specific test basics as well as a structured action plan when confronted with abnormal results. It is a series of tests used to evaluate the composition and concentration of the cellular components of blood, which consists: red blood cell (RBC) counts, red cell indices, hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, white blood cell (WBC) count, classification of white blood cells (WBC differential) and platelet count. CBC provides valuable information about the blood and to some extent the bone marrow, which is the blood-forming tissue. CBC can be use for the following purposes: as a preoperative test to ensure both adequate oxygen carrying capacity and hemostasis, to identify acute and chronic illness, bleeding tendencies, and white blood cell disorders such as leukemia, to monitor a medical condition and changes in the body system caused by medical treatments, to determine the effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy on blood cell production. CBC can be performed manually using visual examination or automation by fluorescence flow cytometry and impedance. In conclusion, CBC and peripheral blood examination are one of the most commonly ordered tests that provides important information about the kinds and numbers of cells in the blood, abnormalities in any of these types of blood cells may indicate the presence of important medical disorders.

Published in American Journal of Laboratory Medicine (Volume 1, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajlm.20160103.12
Page(s) 34-57
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Blood Cells, Complete Blood Cell Count, Peripheral Blood Film

References
[1] Adewoyin AS and Nwogoh. B (2014). Peripheral Blood Film - A Review. Annals of Ibadan Postgraduate Medicine: vol. 12(2).
[2] Riley RS, James GW, Sommer S, Martin MJ (2013). How to prepare and interpret peripheral blood smears.
[3] Tefferi A, Hanson CA, Inwards DJ (2005). How to Interpret and Pursue an Abnormal Complete Blood Cell Count in Adults. Mayo ClinProc; 80(7):923–936.
[4] Munster M (2013). The role of the peripheral blood smear in the modern haematology laboratory. SEED haematology. Sysmex.
[5] Harmening D (2009). Clinical Hematology and Fundamentals of Hemostasis, Fifth Edition, Published by F. A. Davis Company, Philadelphia, Chap 3, Pp 305-328, 578-589.
[6] Tkachuk DC, Hirschmann JV (2007). Approach to the microscopic evaluation of blood and bone marrow. Wintrobe Atlas of Clinical Haematology. Lippincott: Williams & Wilkins.
[7] Henry, John B (2001). Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders.
[8] Bain, B (2005). Current concepts: Diagnosis from the blood smear. N Engl J Med 353 (5): 498.
[9] Hoffbrand AV (2011). Megaloblasticanaemia. In: Hoffbrand AV, Catovsky D, Tuddenham EGD, Green AR , editors. Postgraduate Haematology. 6th ed. Wiley-Blackwell.
[10] Bainton DF (2006). Morphology of Neutrophils, Eosinophils, and Basophils. Williams Hematology.7th Edition.
[11] Pagana K, Pagana T. Mosby's (2006). Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests. 3rd Edition, Publisher, St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier; Pp 409-412, 447-448.
[12] Pagana, Kathleen D. &Pagana, Timothy J. (2007). Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Reference 8th Edition: Mosby, Inc., Saint Louis, MO. Pp 290.
[13] Bain BJ (2012). Blood Cell Morphology in Health and Disease. In Dacie and Lewis Practical Haematology. (11 ed); Chapter 5:69–100
[14] Perkins SL (2003). Examination of the Blood and Bone Marrow. In: Greer JP, Foerster J, Lukens JN, editors. Wintrobe's Clinical Hematology. 11th Ed. Lippincott: Williams & Wilkins.
[15] Wallach, Jacques (2000). Interpretation of Diagnostic Tests. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
[16] Janz, TG; Johnson, RL; Rubenstein, SD (2013). Anemia in the emergency department: evaluation and treatment. Emergency medicine practice. 15 (11): 1–15; quiz 15–16.
[17] Bolton-Maggs, P (2004). Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hereditary spherocytosis. British Journal of Haematol 126: 455.
[18] Provan, D and Weatherall, D (2000). Red cells ll: Acquired anaemias and polycythaemia. Lancet: 355:1260.
[19] Percy MJ, Zhao Q, Flores A, et al. (2006). A family with erythrocytosis establishes a role for prolyl hydroxylase domain protein 2 in oxygen homeostasis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 103 (3): 654–9.
[20] Percy MJ, Furlow PW, Beer PA, Lappin TR, McMullin MF, Lee FS (2007). A novel erythrocytosis-associated PHD2 mutation suggests the location of a HIF binding groove. Blood. 110 (6): 2193–6.
[21] Percy MJ, Furlow PW, Lucas GS, (2008). A gain-of-function mutation in the HIF2A gene in familial erythrocytosis. N. Engl. J. Med. 358 (2): 162–8.
[22] Perrotta S, Nobili B, Ferraro M, et al. (2006). Von Hippel-Lindau-dependent polycythemia is endemic on the island of Ischia: identification of a novel cluster. Blood.107 (2): 514–9.
[23] Gale DP, Harten SK, Reid CD, Tuddenham EG, Maxwell PH (2008). Autosomal dominant erythrocytosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with an activating HIF2 alpha mutation". Blood. 112 (3): 919–921.
[24] Stefanini, Mario; Urbas, John V.; Urbas, John E. (2013). Gaisböck's syndrome: its hematologic, biochemical and hormonal parameters. Angiology. 29 (7): 520–533.
[25] Smith RE, Jr(2010). The clinical and economic burden of anemia. The American journal of managed care. 16 Suppl Issues: S59–66.
[26] Greer J, Foerster J, Rodgers G, Paraskevas F, Glader B, Arber D, Means R, (2009). Wintrobe's Clinical Hematology. 12th ed. Publisher, Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: Pp 170-402, 1512-1516, 1522-1524, 1528-1533.
[27] Ryan DH. Examination of the blood. In: Beutler E, Lichtman MA, Coller BS, Kipps TJ, Seligsoh U, editors. Williams' Hematology. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2001. pp. 12–14.
[28] Qaseem, A; Humphrey, LL; Fitterman, N; Starkey, M; Shekelle, P (2013); Treatment of anemia in patients with heart disease: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine. 159 (11): 770–779.
[29] Bhutta, ZA; Das, JK; Rizvi, A; Gaffey, MF; Walker, N; Horton, S; Webb, P; Lartey, A; Black, RE (2013). Evidence-based interventions for improvement of maternal and child nutrition: what can be done and at what cost?. Lancet. 382 (9890): 452–77.
[30] Mary Territo (2016) Definition of Leukopenia, Neutropenia, and Monocytopenia. Merck Sharp &Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.
[31] Wickramasinghe SN, Erber WN (2011). Blood and Bone Marrow Pathology. 2nd edition. Elsevier. Normal blood cells.
[32] Basu S (2005). Blood cell and bone marrow morphology. The science of laboratory diagnosis 2nd edition.
[33] Sylvia C. McKean, John J. Ross, Daniel D. Dressler, Daniel J. Brotman, Jeffrey S. Ginsberg, Theodore E and Warkentin MD (2012). Principles and Practice of Hospital Medicine, Chapter 175, Quantitative Abnormalities of Platelets: Thrombocytopenia and Thrombocytosis, publisher: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
[34] Storch, A (2005). Testing for acanthocytosis. J Neuro 1252 (1):84.
[35] Schaefer M, Rowan RM (2000). The Clinical relevance of nucleated red cell counts. Sysmex Journal International; 10(2):59–63.
[36] Constantino BT, Cogionis B (2000). Nucleated RBCs-Significance in the peripheral blood film. Laboratory Medicine.; 31(4):223–229.
[37] BerendHouwen B (2000). Blood film preparation and staining procedures. Laboratory Haematology; 6: 1–7.
[38] McPherson R and Pincus M (2007). Henry's Clinical Diagnosis, Management and Laboratory Methods. 21st ed. Publisher, Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier:, Chap. 31, Pp 477-478, 545-560, 730, 754-757.
[39] Kasper DL, Braunwald E, Fauci AS, Hauser SL, Longo DL, Jameson JL (2005). Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 16th Edition, Published by McGraw Hill, Pp 329-336, 340-341, 673-675.
[40] Monica Cheesbrough (2005). Discrete Laboratory Practice in Tropical Countries Part 2, Cambridge Second Editions. Published by Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, chp.8, page 338-340.
[41] Esan Ayodele. J (2014). Severity and Prevalence of Malaria Infection and Effect of Anti-Malaria Drugs on Gender Differences Using Some Haematological Parameters; International Journal of Hematological Disorders, 2014, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1-7
[42] Esan Ayodele. J (2014). Effect of Anti-malaria Drugs on Some Blood Cell Lines Parameters in Adult Individuals Infected with Acute Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum Malaria; International Journal of Hematological Disorders, 2014, Vol. 1, No. 1, 12-21
[43] Chernecky, Cynthia C. and Barbara J. Berger (2001). Laboratory Tests and Diagnostic Procedures. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders.
[44] Kee, Joyce LeFever (2001). Handbook of Laboratory and DiagnosticTests. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Esan Ayodele Jacob. (2016). Complete Blood Cell Count and Peripheral Blood Film, Its Significant in Laboratory Medicine: A Review Study. American Journal of Laboratory Medicine, 1(3), 34-57. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajlm.20160103.12

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Esan Ayodele Jacob. Complete Blood Cell Count and Peripheral Blood Film, Its Significant in Laboratory Medicine: A Review Study. Am. J. Lab. Med. 2016, 1(3), 34-57. doi: 10.11648/j.ajlm.20160103.12

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Esan Ayodele Jacob. Complete Blood Cell Count and Peripheral Blood Film, Its Significant in Laboratory Medicine: A Review Study. Am J Lab Med. 2016;1(3):34-57. doi: 10.11648/j.ajlm.20160103.12

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ajlm.20160103.12,
      author = {Esan Ayodele Jacob},
      title = {Complete Blood Cell Count and Peripheral Blood Film, Its Significant in Laboratory Medicine: A Review Study},
      journal = {American Journal of Laboratory Medicine},
      volume = {1},
      number = {3},
      pages = {34-57},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajlm.20160103.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajlm.20160103.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajlm.20160103.12},
      abstract = {The aim of this review is to assist non-hematologist effective means of interpreting complete blood cell (CBC) counts results especially when encountered with abnormal result for intellectually rewarding practice and to recognize when a subspecialty consultation is reasonable and when it may be circumvented. A complete blood cell count is routine hematology tests in medicine useful for the differential diagnosis of anemia and other medical conditions. A good percentage of CBC results are reported as abnormal, therefore it is in every clinician’s interest to have some understanding of the specific test basics as well as a structured action plan when confronted with abnormal results. It is a series of tests used to evaluate the composition and concentration of the cellular components of blood, which consists: red blood cell (RBC) counts, red cell indices, hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, white blood cell (WBC) count, classification of white blood cells (WBC differential) and platelet count. CBC provides valuable information about the blood and to some extent the bone marrow, which is the blood-forming tissue. CBC can be use for the following purposes: as a preoperative test to ensure both adequate oxygen carrying capacity and hemostasis, to identify acute and chronic illness, bleeding tendencies, and white blood cell disorders such as leukemia, to monitor a medical condition and changes in the body system caused by medical treatments, to determine the effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy on blood cell production. CBC can be performed manually using visual examination or automation by fluorescence flow cytometry and impedance. In conclusion, CBC and peripheral blood examination are one of the most commonly ordered tests that provides important information about the kinds and numbers of cells in the blood, abnormalities in any of these types of blood cells may indicate the presence of important medical disorders.},
     year = {2016}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Complete Blood Cell Count and Peripheral Blood Film, Its Significant in Laboratory Medicine: A Review Study
    AU  - Esan Ayodele Jacob
    Y1  - 2016/11/29
    PY  - 2016
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajlm.20160103.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajlm.20160103.12
    T2  - American Journal of Laboratory Medicine
    JF  - American Journal of Laboratory Medicine
    JO  - American Journal of Laboratory Medicine
    SP  - 34
    EP  - 57
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-386X
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajlm.20160103.12
    AB  - The aim of this review is to assist non-hematologist effective means of interpreting complete blood cell (CBC) counts results especially when encountered with abnormal result for intellectually rewarding practice and to recognize when a subspecialty consultation is reasonable and when it may be circumvented. A complete blood cell count is routine hematology tests in medicine useful for the differential diagnosis of anemia and other medical conditions. A good percentage of CBC results are reported as abnormal, therefore it is in every clinician’s interest to have some understanding of the specific test basics as well as a structured action plan when confronted with abnormal results. It is a series of tests used to evaluate the composition and concentration of the cellular components of blood, which consists: red blood cell (RBC) counts, red cell indices, hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, white blood cell (WBC) count, classification of white blood cells (WBC differential) and platelet count. CBC provides valuable information about the blood and to some extent the bone marrow, which is the blood-forming tissue. CBC can be use for the following purposes: as a preoperative test to ensure both adequate oxygen carrying capacity and hemostasis, to identify acute and chronic illness, bleeding tendencies, and white blood cell disorders such as leukemia, to monitor a medical condition and changes in the body system caused by medical treatments, to determine the effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy on blood cell production. CBC can be performed manually using visual examination or automation by fluorescence flow cytometry and impedance. In conclusion, CBC and peripheral blood examination are one of the most commonly ordered tests that provides important information about the kinds and numbers of cells in the blood, abnormalities in any of these types of blood cells may indicate the presence of important medical disorders.
    VL  - 1
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Department of Hematology and Blood transfusion, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Nigeria

  • Sections