1. Full Blood Count (FBC) [Internet]. Lab Test Online - The Association for Clinical Biochemistry & Laboratory Medicine. 2020 [cited 1 July 2021]. Available from: https://labtestsonline.org.uk/tests/full-blood-count-fbc
2. George-Gay B, Parker K. Understanding the complete blood count with differential. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing. 2003;18(2):96-117.
3. Tefferi A, Hanson C, Inwards D. How to Interpret and Pursue an Abnormal Complete Blood Cell Count in Adults. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2005;80(7):923-936.
4. Complete Blood Count (CBC): at a glance [Internet]. Health Awareness. 2021 [cited 1 July 2021]. Available from: https://www.healthawareness.co.uk/haematology/complete-blood-count-cbc-at-a-glance/#
5. Blood Tests [Internet]. NHS Inform. 2021 [cited 1 July 2021]. Available from: https://www.nhsinform.scot/tests-and-treatments/blood-tests/blood-tests
6. Ford J. Red blood cell morphology. International Journal of Laboratory Hematology. 2013;35(3):351-357.
7. Higgins J. Red Blood Cell Population Dynamics. Clinics in Laboratory Medicine. 2015;35(1):43-57.
8. Hoffman J. Red blood cells, compasses and snap shots. Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases. 2018;71:67-70.
9. Luo J, Chen C, Li Q. White blood cell counting at point‐of‐care testing: A review. ELECTROPHORESIS. 2020;41(16-17):1450-1468.
10.  Lassila R. Platelet Function Tests in Bleeding Disorders. Seminars in Thrombosis and Hemostasis. 2016;42(03):185-190.
11.  Normal Lab Values [Internet]. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. 2021 [cited 1 July 2021]. Available from: https://cllsociety.org/toolbox/normal-lab-values/
12.  Cascio M, DeLoughery T. Anemia. Medical Clinics of North America. 2017;101(2):263-284.
13.  Godon A, Genevieve F, Marteau-Tessier A, Zandecki M. Automated hematology analysers and spurious counts#$##x0000A;Part 3. Haemoglobin, red blood cells, cell count and indices, reticulocytes. Annales de biologie clinique. 2012;70(2):155-168.
14. Cascio M, DeLoughery T. Anemia. Medical Clinics of North America. 2017;101(2):263-284.
15. Viprakasit V, Ekwattanakit S. Clinical Classification, Screening and Diagnosis for Thalassemia. Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America. 2018;32(2):193-211.
16. Honda T, Uehara T, Matsumoto G, Arai S, Sugano M. Neutrophil left shift and white blood cell count as markers of bacterial infection. Clinica Chimica Acta. 2016;457:46-53.
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18. Eicher J, Lettre G, Johnson A. The genetics of platelet count and volume in humans. Platelets. 2017;29(2):125-130.
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The normal ranges for a FBC blood test are the expected values of results that are seen in 95% of the healthy poplulation. So if you have results outside of this range it does not always mean you have an issue, but it does warrant further investigation. Note that normal ranges for full blood count tests differ between men and women, and can also vary between laboratories. The following should be used as a guide only - up to date values will always be returned as part of your full blood count home test report. [11]

Red Blood Cell Count:
Male: 4.7 to 6.1 million cells/mcL
Female: 4.2 to 5.4 million cells/mcL

Haemoglobin level:
Male: 13.8-17.2 g/dL
Female: 12.1-15.1 g/dL

Haematocrit:
Male: 40.7-50.3%
Female: 36.1-44.3%

Mean Cell Volume:
Male: 80-100 fL
Female: 80-100 fL

Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin:
Male: 27-31 pg
Female: 27-31 pg

Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration
Male: 32-36 g/dL
Female: 32-36 g/dL

Red Cell Distribution Width
Male: 11.8-15.6%
Female: 11.9-15.5%

Number of platelets:
Male: 150-450 x 109/L
Female: 150-450 x 109/L

White Blood Cell Count:
Male: 3.5-10.5 x 109/L
Female: 3.5-10.5 x 109/L

Percentage of Basophils:
0.5% to 1%

Percentage of Eosinophils:
1% to 4%

Percentage of Lymphocytes
20% to 40%

Percentage of Monocytes
2% to 8%

Percentage of Neutrophils
40% to 60%

 

A Full Blood Count home test can help identify a large number of conditions and diseases.

Anaemia is when your body is unable to normally produce red blood cells. The red blood cells may be too few, too many, too large, too small, too pale, have an abnormal shape or have a short life span. These abnormalities can be inherited or caused by drinking too much alcohol, an iron deficiency, a vitamin B12 and folate deficiency, by other conditions, or by medicines like penicillin and methyldopa.  If anaemia is of concern to you, we offer a more complete anaemia test here, which also includes a full blood count home test.

Haemoglobinopathies are inherited diseases in which your haemoglobin is not produced properly and is unable to efficiently transport oxygen. Common types of haemoglobinopathies are sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and methemoglobinemia. Further, more specific testing is required to identfy these. 

Variation in red blood cells, haemoglobin, and haematocrit levels may also indicate possible heart or lung disease. Polycythaemia vera is a condition in which your body produces too many red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

Myelodysplastic syndrome and myelofibrosis are two types of cancer that are characterised by a low count of white blood cells in your bloodstream. Other types of disease can be caused by an overly low count of white cells, like neutropenia and agranulocytosis.

A low white cell count can also indicate an auto-immune disease, a case where your body’s immune system attacks itself. A FBC blood test is also extremely important because it can help you and your GP to detect malignant diseases at an early stage. The main 3 types of malignant disease are lymphomas, myelomas and leukaemia.

Myeloma happens when your body overly produces a specific type of white blood cell called plasma cells. Lymphomas occur when lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, are being produced in excessive quantities by your body.

There are two types of lymphomas: Non-Hodgkin’s and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. These two variants affect different types of lymphocytes. Leukaemia is when your body abnormally produces lymphocytes or myeloid cells. Leukaemia can be chronic, with the white blood cells produced building up over time, or acute, with your body suddenly speeding the production of white blood cells. Myeloma, lymphoma, and leukaemia are serious diseases, and regular FBC testing can help you detect them at an early stage and make the treatment more straightforward.

An important number of clotting diseases can also be identified through the platelet count in FBC blood tests.

Generally speaking, while a full blood count home test may not identify the exact cause of an issue, it is an excellent indicator of health concerns and helps to define further investigations. [19][20][21][22][23][24][25]
 

If your red blood cell count, haemoglobin, and/or haematocrit are too low, it could be that you have anaemia, a condition in which your body does not produce enough red blood cells that can transport oxygen and carbon dioxide. This deficiency can be due to your body not having enough iron, producing ineffective red blood cells, not producing enough red blood cells, or destroying a portion of your red blood cells.

If your FBC blood test results show that your red blood cell count, haemoglobin, or haematocrit are too high, this could be because you are dehydrated or take certain medication like diuretics. 

Another reason could be that your body is producing too many red blood cells because you have a heart or lung condition that is causing your oxygen levels to be too low. The MCV, MCHC, and RDW results can help your GP determine what type of anaemia you might have. 

Note that if anaemia is a concern, we also offer a more comprehensive anaemia home test which includes a FBC blood test. 

A high white blood cell count (leucocytosis) could indicate that your body is trying to protect itself through an inflammatory response against an infection or other types of disease. The white cell differential (count of basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils) can provide more information that can help you and your GP accurately understand and diagnose the cause of any white blood cell variations. A low white blood count (leukopenia) can mean that your bodies’ immune defence system is not working optimally. Leukopenia can also be caused by certain medications you take.

A low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) can potentially cause bleeding problems and might be caused by treatments you are undergoing. 

The Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) provides valuable information in identifying the cause of your low platelet count. A high platelet count (thrombocytosis), on the other hand, can be an indication of an ongoing inflammation process. 

Overall, a Full Blood Count home test can give you an overview of your health at a given moment in time, helps your GP diagnose a certain condition, and also help monitor the progression of a disease or the effects of a treatment. Given the complexity of results, your FBC blood test report will include a detailed explanation for each test result. [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]
 

The Vitall full blood count home test measures many different biomarkers in your blood to give a comprehensive overview of your blood health. These are summarised as follows:

Red Blood Cells 

Red blood cells, also known as erythrocytes, have a characteristic oval biconcave disk shape. They play a very important role in keeping your muscles and organs healthy and functional. We all breathe-in oxygen and breathe-out carbon dioxide, this is thanks to the red blood cells transporting carbon dioxide to the lungs and exchanging it with oxygen to it bring back to the bloodstream in order to supply our tissues for respiration and to carry out their functions.

The red blood cells are able to transport both carbon dioxide and oxygen thanks to an iron-containing protein called haemoglobin. Each red blood cell contains millions of haemoglobin proteins. The shape and number of red blood cells in your bloodstream as well as the number of haemoglobin molecules in each cell are very important indicators of several medical conditions. A Full Blood Count home test measures many different indicators related to red blood cells and haemoglobin.

The Red Cell Count is the amount of red cells in a given volume of your blood. 

The Mean Cell Volume (MCV) measures the average size of your red blood cells. The Red Cell Distribution Width (RCDW) measures the variation of the volume of your red blood cells. Another indicator of the health of your red blood cells is the haematocrit (HCT) – also known as Packed Cell Volume (PCV) – which measures the percentage of your blood that is made up of red blood cells.

The amount of haemoglobin in a given volume of your blood is also measured, this indicator is simply called haemoglobin. Two other important haemoglobin indicators measured in yur FBC blood test are the Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH) and the Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), they both measure the average amount of Haemoglobin you have in a red blood cell; the only difference is that MCHC also takes into account the average proportion of the red blood cells that contain haemoglobin in terms of size. [6][7][8]

White Blood Cells 

Your White Blood Cells protect your body from infections. They also take part in your body’s inflammatory responses. The White Blood Cell Count measures the amount of white blood cells in your blood. When the White Blood Cell Count is too high, it is called leucocytosis. On the other hand, when it is too low, it is called leukopenia.

In what we call the white blood cell differential, the different types of your white blood cells are also identified and counted as part of a FBC blood test; they are called basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils. [9]

Platelets 

Platelets – also called thrombocytes – are cell fragments in your bloodstream that are responsible for clotting. The Platelet Count measures the average amount of platelets in your bloodstream. If the amount of platelets is too low, it is called thrombocytopenia. On the other hand, if it is too high, it is called thrombocytosis.

Another important indicator, the Mean Platelet Volume (MPV), measures the average size of your platelets. [10]

As you can see a FBC blood test can be very detailed. Fortunately, like all of our home blood tests, each result is clearly explained in your report.

A Full Blood Count (FBC) – also known as Complete Blood Count (CBC) – is a blood test that measures the number and size of cells in your bloodstream.

It is a very common blood test that can give you an overview of the state of your health. Vitall are one of a select number of companies able to offer a full blood count home test [1][2]

Full Blood Count blood tests are widely used because they provide important information about your health. The Full Blood Count test can give you a snapshot of your overall health as part of an annual check-up. Even if you do not experience any symptoms or anything out of the ordinary, getting tested regularly can be a good way of detecting any changes in your body at an early stage. [3]

If you start to experience symptoms that might seem benign like fatigue, weakness, fever, inflammation, or bleeding, a FBC blood test can reveal if you might have a medical issue. You should discuss the test results with your GP.

Full Blood Count tests can also help you and your GP monitor your health if you have been diagnosed with a condition that affects your blood cells. Medication can affect different organs, with most of them having an impact on the cells in your bloodstream. This is why Full Blood Count home tests can also monitor the effects of some medications, both positive and negative. Some medications require that you monitor the health of certain organs by Full Blood Count testing on a monthly basis or even more frequently. [4][5]