TOTAL & DIFFERENTIAL COUNT

Total and Differential Count, in normal terms also referred to as a Complete Blood Count (CBC) with Differential, is one of the more basic tests done in a lab to complete a patient. It focuses mainly on red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), platelets, and the differential count of WBCs. The test is crucial in evaluating your overall health condition, medical condition checkup, and medicine intake efficiency check-up.  

The test uses advanced medical equipment known as automated haematology analysis that can perform blood sample tests using machines. The machine examines blood cell sizes, examine their shapes, count them, and other details which are necessary to provide a full comprehensive blood differential count report. 

In this analysis, we look at the Total and Differential Count in the following parameters: 

• Red Blood Cells (RBC): Evaluates the oxygen synthesizing and consuming activities in the body. The RBCs production and destruction rates are also analysed. 
• White Blood Cells (WBC): Evaluates the overall response of the immunity to infections, inflammation, or any type of ailment. 
• Platelets: Evaluates the figure of the elements essential for the blood coagulation. 
• Differential Count: Detailed breakdown of total WBC is done under the following categories:  

1. Neutrophils,  
2. Lymphocytes,  
3. Monocytes,  
4. Eosinophils, 
5. Basophils 

Once and Total Differential Count is a standard procedure done during:  

• Regular screening, 
• Complex physical examination, 
• Supervision of chronic cases like anaemia or bleeding tendencies, 
• Acute infections and inflammatory conditions 

Risks noted with this blood sampling are:  

• Some tenderness or pain where the blood was drawn from, 
• Bleeding or bruising under the skin,  
• Risk of infection,  
• A bruise in the area 

There are also limits of the test such as:  

• Differences in numbers due to age, sex, and race 
• Need for confirming abnormal numbers with repeating tests 
• Does not account for some conditions like bone marrow problems and bleeding complications 

The test covers the following areas:  

• The number of Red Blood cells, 
• Red blood cell with haemoglobin,  
• Volume of blood with packed RBCS 
• Mean corpuscular volume 
• Mean corpuscular haemoglobin 
• Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration 
• Red blood cell distribution width 
• Blood platelet count 
• White blood cell count 
• Differential white blood cell count 

People who should consider taking the test include: 

• People wanting a general health check-up.  
• People suffering from anaemia, bleeding problems, and other blood disorders. 
• People with signs and symptoms of infection, inflammation, or other disease. 

Benefits of taking the test include: 

• Early detection and diagnosis of underlying conditions 
• Monitoring the effectiveness of treatments 
• Guidance for further diagnostic testing 
• Evaluation of overall health and well-being 

Here are some of the most common diseases that can be tracked or diagnosed with Total and Differential Count:  

• Nutritional anaemia  
• Haemophilia  
• Blood malignancies, such as leukaemia and lymphoma. 
• Bacterial, viral or fungal infections. 
• Metabolic chronic inflammatory illness like autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis. 
• Diseases of the bone marrow. 

Make sure to get ready for the test by doing the following:  

Prerequisites: There is no specific preparation needed, but it is advisable to:  

Eligibility: This test can be done on every person regardless of their age.  

Procedure of taking the test: A blood specimen is drawn from a vein in the arm. Alternatively, a finger can also be pricked.  

Precaution before taking the test: Tell your doctor if you are taking any medication or supplements since they could affect the outcome.