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White Blood Cell (WBC) Count

By Amber J. Tresca, About.com

Updated: June 10, 2007

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Kate Grossman, MD

What it is:

A white blood cell (WBC) count (sometimes called leukocyte count or white count) may be ordered by a physician as part of a complete blood cell count (CBC). A WBC count is the number of white blood cells per volume of blood, and is reported in either thousands in a microliter or millions in a liter of blood.

What it's used for:

A high WBC count can be an indicator of an infection, inflammation, or allergy. Some conditions may cause a decrease in the WBC count.

Leukocytosis is the presence of an elevated WBC count; leukopenia is a decreased WBC count. Leukocytosis may be caused by several conditions including bacterial infection, inflammation, leukemia, trauma, or stress. Leukopenia may occur as a result of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or immune system disorders.

How it's done:

A blood sample will be taken, normally from the arm. If several tests are ordered, more than one vial of blood will be taken.

Normal levels:

The normal range for WBC count is 4,300 to 10,800 cells per cubic millimeter (cmm) or 4.3 to 10.8 x 109 cells per liter. A range of 11 to 17 x 109/L may be considered mild to moderate leukocytosis, and a range of 3.0 to 5.0x109/L may be considered mild leukopenia.

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