Greetings my Little Gang of Nasties😜😈 The Complete Blood Count (CBC) is one of the most common lab tests you’ll see, and it’s PACKED with useful info. Here’s a quick breakdown of the key components and how to think about them: 🩸WBC: White Blood Cell Count Literal count of all white blood cells in circulation. 🩸RBC: Red Blood Cell Count Literal count of all red blood cells in circulation. 🩸HGB: Hemoglobin Oxygen-carrying protein in RBCs. Low in anemia, high in chronic heart/lung disease. 🩸HCT: Hematocrit % of your blood made up of RBCs. Low = anemia High = dehydration, polycythemia 🩸MCV: Mean Corpuscular Volume Average size of RBCs. - Microcytic (< 80 fL) - iron deficiency, thalassemia - Normocytic (80–100 fL) - acute blood loss, chronic disease - Macrocytic (> 100 fL) - B12/folate deficiency, liver disease 🩸MCH: Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Average amount of HGB in ONE RBC. 🩸MCHC: Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration Average concentration of HGB in ALL RBCs. Hypochromia if < 32 g/dL (iron deficiency anemia, thalassemia) 🩸RDW: Red Cell Distribution Width Variation in RBC size. >16% think anisocytosis (often means bone marrow is working hard, useful in anemia diagnosis) 🩸 PLT: Platelet Count Number of platelets in circulation. Low = bleeding risk High = inflammation, iron deficiency, post-surgery 🩸MPV: Mean Platelet Volume Average size of platelets. Big = younger platelets (bone marrow active) Small = older/fragmented platelets 💡 Study Tip: When reviewing CBC results for the ASCP, don’t just memorize definitions, practice linking each abnormal value to its possible causes. That’s what will help you crush both questions and real-life cases. Hope this helps a bit - also check out the attached .pdf for a better chart! -Marilyn ✨If you’re still struggling or feel lost with your ASCP Exam prep, let’s get you on track. Book a 1:1 call with me so we can assess your needs! https://calendly.com/microscopeviewsyt/45min