Complete blood count (CBC): how to read each line

A complete blood count (CBC) measures the number and size of the different cells in your blood, including red cells, white cells and platelets (MedlinePlus, updated 15 October 2024). Reference ranges differ by lab (MedlinePlus, 4 September 2025), so the range printed on your report, and your doctor, govern.

This page goes through the lines of a CBC and what each reflects, according to MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine) and the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). It does not read your result, tell you it is normal, or diagnose anything.

In short:

• The two US sources print different ranges. For WBC, MedlinePlus (3 February 2025) prints 4,500 to 11,000 and NHLBI (24 March 2022) prints 4,500 to 10,000 cells per microliter. Labs often use different ranges too (MedlinePlus, 4 September 2025): only the range on your own report applies.
• WHO (5 March 2024) defines anaemia, for people aged 15 to 65, as haemoglobin below 120 g/L in non-pregnant women and below 130 g/L in men. WHO places these cutoffs at the 5th percentile of healthy people. They are cutoffs for defining anaemia, not a normal range.
• A CBC usually needs no special preparation, unless other tests on the same sample need a fast (MedlinePlus, 15 October 2024).

Last checked: 1 November 2026, on the pages listed under Sources. Pages and lab rules change, so confirm with your doctor.

What does a CBC measure, and why is it ordered?

MedlinePlus (updated 15 October 2024) lists red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, haemoglobin, haematocrit and MCV among what a CBC measures. It is often part of a routine check-up and is used to monitor conditions or treatments that may affect blood cell counts. MedlinePlus lists “full blood count” among the test’s other names, and the NHS (last reviewed 2 November 2023) lists a full blood count (FBC) among its blood tests. A CBC counts the cells: MedlinePlus (15 October 2024) says there are many reasons levels may fall outside the normal range, and its haemoglobin test page says that test cannot tell what is causing an abnormal level (27 October 2024).

How do I read each line of my CBC?

The table follows the lines of a CBC. The abbreviations and Arabic names are added by us from common usage: the sources below describe each line but do not print every abbreviation or any Arabic name, and your report may print only the English abbreviation.

On your report	Arabic name	What it reflects
RBC	«كرات الدم الحمراء»	Red blood cells, which carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
Hb or HGB	«الهيموجلوبين»	An iron-rich protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen.
HCT	«الهيماتوكريت»	The amount of whole blood made up of red blood cells.
MCV	«متوسط حجم الكرية الحمراء»	The average size of your red blood cells.
MCH	«متوسط هيموجلوبين الكرية»	The average amount of haemoglobin in one red blood cell.
MCHC	«تركيز هيموجلوبين الكرية»	How concentrated (close together) the haemoglobin is in your red blood cells.
RDW	«تفاوت حجم الكرات الحمراء»	Differences in the volume and size of your red blood cells. Not enough alone for a diagnosis.
WBC	«كرات الدم البيضاء»	The total number of white blood cells, which fight infections and other diseases.
NEUT	«العدلات»	Neutrophils, the body’s main defence against infection when germs enter.
LYMPH	«الخلايا الليمفاوية»	Lymphocytes (B cells and T cells). B cells fight off invading viruses, bacteria or toxins.
MONO	«الوحيدات»	Monocytes, which kill bacteria, viruses and other germs.
EOS	«الحمضات»	Eosinophils, which defend against parasites and infections and take part in allergies.
BASO	«القعدات»	Basophils, which release enzymes during allergic reactions and asthma attacks.
PLT	«الصفائح الدموية»	Platelets, which stop bleeding by helping the blood to clot.

From MedlinePlus: blood count (15 October 2024) for RBC, haemoglobin, HCT, MCV, WBC and platelets; red cell indices (7 October 2024) for MCH, MCHC and RDW; blood differential (9 October 2024) for the five white cell types. The blood count page says a CBC measures the total number of white cells and a different test, a CBC with differential, measures each type.

What is the normal range for WBC, haemoglobin and the other lines?

For WBC, MedlinePlus (reviewed 3 February 2025) prints 4,500 to 11,000 cells per microliter, or 4.5 to 11.0 × 10⁹/L in SI units, and NHLBI (updated 24 March 2022) prints 4,500 to 10,000 cells/mcL. “Normal” is each page’s word: MedlinePlus (4 September 2025) says the term can be misleading, because ranges come from large groups of healthy people and vary.

Line	Unit	MedlinePlus encyclopedia (reviewed 14 Oct 2024)	NHLBI (updated 24 Mar 2022)
RBC	million cells/mcL	Men 4.6 to 6.2; women 4.2 to 5.4	Men 5 to 6; women 4 to 5
Haemoglobin	g/dL	Men 13 to 18; women 12 to 16	Men 14 to 17; women 12 to 15
Haematocrit	%	Men 40 to 55; women 36 to 48	Men 41 to 50; women 36 to 44
WBC	cells/mcL	4,500 to 11,000	4,500 to 10,000
Platelets	cells/mcL	150,000 to 400,000	140,000 to 450,000
MCV	fL (femtoliter)	80 to 100	80 to 95
MCH	pg/cell	27 to 32	Not printed
MCHC	g/dL	32 to 36	Not printed

Read 1 November 2026. “mcL” is a microliter. NHLBI calls its table “normal adult ranges”; the MedlinePlus entry lists men and women without stating an age. MedlinePlus (4 September 2025) says a test may have separate ranges for children and adults; neither table here has rows for children, babies or pregnancy. MedlinePlus prints the platelet unit as “/dL”, so check the unit beside your own number. NHLBI’s blood-tests page prints MCV as “0 to 95”, so that cell comes from its anaemia page (18 December 2025), which says RBC, haemoglobin and haematocrit vary with altitude. The range printed on your report, and your doctor, govern.

The MedlinePlus entry on the blood differential (reviewed 3 February 2025) prints the white cell types as a share of all white cells: neutrophils 40% to 60%, lymphocytes 20% to 40%, monocytes 2% to 8%, eosinophils 1% to 4% and basophils 0.5% to 1%. NHLBI prints none of these.

At what haemoglobin level does WHO define anaemia?

WHO’s guideline on haemoglobin cutoffs (published 5 March 2024, Table 2) gives the haemoglobin below which anaemia is defined. These are cutoffs for defining anaemia, not a normal range: WHO places them at the 5th percentile of healthy people, so 5% of healthy people would still fall below them.

Group	Anaemia defined below (g/L)	Same in g/dL (derived)
Children, 6 to 23 months	105	10.5
Children, 24 to 59 months	110	11.0
Children, 5 to 11 years	115	11.5
Children, 12 to 14 years (boys, and girls not pregnant)	120	12.0
Adults, 15 to 65 years: non-pregnant women	120	12.0
Adults, 15 to 65 years: men	130	13.0
Pregnancy: first, second, third trimester	110, 105, 110	11.0, 10.5, 11.0

WHO, Table 2, read 1 November 2026. It has no row for babies under 6 months or for people over 65. The g/dL column is our conversion (g/L divided by 10) because the US pages use g/dL; WHO does not print it. WHO also recommends adjusting haemoglobin for the elevation where a person lives and for smoking. The range printed on your report, and your doctor, govern.

Does a CBC need fasting?

Usually no special preparation, says MedlinePlus (updated 15 October 2024), but if other tests are run on the same sample you may need to fast for several hours. Ask “is anything else on my request fasting?” Which blood tests need fasting sets the common tests side by side.

What can change how a CBC reads?

MedlinePlus (15 October 2024) says diet, activity level, medicines, a menstrual period and not drinking enough water can affect the results. NHLBI (24 March 2022) adds age, high altitude and race as factors that may affect the ranges. A result inside the range is not always a guarantee of good health either: MedlinePlus (4 September 2025) says some people with health problems have results within it. Whether any of this applies to you is for your doctor.

What should I ask my doctor about my CBC?

1. Which lines on my report are flagged, and what range does this lab print for each?
2. Which units does my report use, and is the range printed for my age and sex, or for my pregnancy?
3. Does anything about me change how these lines read, such as altitude, smoking, dehydration, my medicines or my period?
4. Does my request include a differential, or only the total white cell count?
5. Should this be repeated, and do I need other tests to find out what is behind a flagged line?

Pick the questions that matter to you and take the list with you:

For the rest of the report, questions to ask your doctor about your lab results picks up where this page stops. The pages above do not list ferritin among the lines of a CBC; the ferritin page covers that test.

In Egypt: what has the Ministry said, and where are the CBC ranges?

The Ministry of Health and Population announced on 16 February 2026, in a statement on a State Information Service page, that the presidential initiative for early detection of anaemia, obesity and stunting in primary-school students had resumed. The statement says the medical survey includes weight, height and the haemoglobin level in the blood, and quotes the head of the Health Insurance Organization saying that cases found are referred at once to Health Insurance clinics for further tests and free treatment.

A second statement, on an SIS page dated 3 March 2026, says the presidential initiative for mother and foetus health includes blood and urine tests to detect anaemia, infections and transmitted diseases, described as free. Neither statement uses the words “complete blood count” or prints a range.

We searched the Ministry’s website, the SIS site and egypt.gov.eg on 1 November 2026 for an Egyptian page printing CBC reference ranges and found none, which does not prove none exists. Ask your lab which ranges and units it prints.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the normal range for WBC?

MedlinePlus (reviewed 3 February 2025) prints 4,500 to 11,000 cells per microliter and NHLBI (24 March 2022) prints 4,500 to 10,000. Labs often use different ranges, so check the range on your own report.

Does a CBC need fasting?

Usually no special preparation, says MedlinePlus (15 October 2024), unless other tests on the same sample need a fast of several hours.

At what haemoglobin does WHO define anaemia?

For people aged 15 to 65: below 120 g/L in non-pregnant women and below 130 g/L in men (WHO, 5 March 2024, Table 2). These are cutoffs for defining anaemia, not a normal range, and your doctor reads your own result.

Medigize is a non-diagnostic navigation tool. This is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department.

Sources

1. MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine): complete blood count (CBC), updated 15 October 2024, read 1 November 2026
2. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: CBC blood test, review date 14 October 2024, read 1 November 2026
3. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: WBC count, review date 3 February 2025, read 1 November 2026
4. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: blood differential, review date 3 February 2025, read 1 November 2026
5. MedlinePlus: red blood cell (RBC) indices, updated 7 October 2024, read 1 November 2026
6. MedlinePlus: blood differential, updated 9 October 2024, read 1 November 2026
7. MedlinePlus: hemoglobin test, updated 27 October 2024, read 1 November 2026
8. MedlinePlus: how to understand your lab results, updated 4 September 2025, read 1 November 2026
9. US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI): blood tests, last updated 24 March 2022, read 1 November 2026
10. NHLBI: anemia, diagnosis, last updated 18 December 2025, read 1 November 2026
11. World Health Organization: Guideline on haemoglobin cutoffs to define anaemia in individuals and populations, published 5 March 2024, Table 2, read 1 November 2026
12. NHS: blood tests, last reviewed 2 November 2023, read 1 November 2026
13. Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS): the Ministry of Health and Population resumes the presidential initiative for early detection of anaemia, obesity and stunting, page dated 16 February 2026, read 1 November 2026
14. Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS): the presidential initiative for mother and foetus health screens 3.75 million pregnant women free of charge, page dated 3 March 2026 (also stamped 5 March 2026), read 1 November 2026
15. Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population: website, searched with the SIS site and egypt.gov.eg on 1 November 2026 for a patient page printing CBC reference ranges; none found