A CBC gives your provider a picture of your overall health. Using a small amount of blood, a CBC can helpdetect hundreds of conditions, disorders and infections. It allows your provider to monitor your health,screen for disease and plan and adjust treatment.
Yes, a Complete Blood Count (CBC) can help detect infections, though it’s not a definitive diagnostic tool for pinpointing specific pathogens. A CBC measures several components of your blood, including:
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White Blood Cells (WBCs): Elevated WBC counts can suggest an infection, as the body produces more of these cells to fight it. High counts might indicate a bacterial or viral infection, inflammation, or even an autoimmune disorder.
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Differential WBC Count: This part of the CBC differentiates types of WBCs (neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils). For example, elevated neutrophils often point to bacterial infections, while increased lymphocytes might suggest viral infections.
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Other CBC Components: Changes in red blood cells or platelet counts, though less directly linked to infections, can provide additional clues to doctors.
While CBC can alert physicians to the likelihood of an infection, further tests (e.g., cultures, PCR tests) are typically needed to confirm the type and source of the infection.
