Complete blood count is the most common way to diagnose any disease. When a person goes to the clinic for examination, the doctor will definitely give him a referral for blood donation. This is done to see if there are any abnormalities in the patient's body. You should know that only a medical professional can decipher the analysis. But you can roughly evaluate the results of the analysis yourself if you know the norms for the content of certain blood components.
Indications
When is a person given a referral for a blood test?
- To make a diagnosis and determine the treatment regimen for the patient, the doctor gives a referral for a complete blood count. Where the biological material is taken from is also determined by the doctor.
- If a person has a planned placement in a hospital, then he will definitely need to hand over the material for research to the laboratory.
- Before vaccination, a referral for a general blood test is also issued. Where do they get biological material from children?discussed below.
- Before prescribing a course of treatment with medications, the patient should donate blood for research to the laboratory. This is done in order to identify any contraindications for taking certain medications.
Blood test: where is the material taken from and how is it collected?
Usually, blood for laboratory analysis is taken from the ring finger. But there are options when blood will need to be donated from a vein. Such a need arises if an extended study is needed. Where the general blood test is taken from in adults is determined by the attending physician.
Sampling of biological material for the laboratory is done according to the following algorithm. The finger is lubricated with an alcohol solution. Next, the laboratory assistant makes a puncture and takes the material into the tube. The blood is then transferred to a glass flask. A small amount of it is left on a special glass. This is done for the purpose of a detailed study of the material and in order to make a general blood test. Where else do they get the material from?
When it is required to take blood from a patient's vein for analysis, the person's forearm is tied with a special tourniquet. The skin on the arm in the elbow bend is smeared with an alcohol solution. Then a needle is inserted into the vein. Next, the material is taken, which is also placed in a special flask, and a small amount is taken on the glass. There is a statistic that during a lifetime a person donates blood from a finger about 20 times.
Complete blood count in children. Where do they take the material from infants. Features of this study
It should be remembered that the values of the test blood in infants differ from the norms of an adult.
The first fence for small children is prescribed at the age of three months. It is believed that in this age period, babies have a risk of developing a disease such as iron deficiency anemia. Therefore, to identify the development of this disease, they give a referral to a general blood test in infants. Where the material is taken from, the pediatrician indicates. Here the doctor pays attention to the level of hemoglobin and red blood cells.
Also, from the age of three months, the child needs to be vaccinated. For its successful implementation, it is necessary that the child be he althy. This analysis makes it possible to find out if all indicators are normal.
Testing in children
For older children, you need to take a blood test on an empty stomach. And for infants, this recommendation may not be followed.
Sampling of material is carried out by a laboratory assistant in sterile gloves using disposable instruments. Blood in children, as in adults, is taken from the fourth finger of the hand, if you count from the thumb. First, a sampling is carried out to study the level of hemoglobin in the blood and ESR. Then material is collected to determine the number of leukocytes and erythrocytes in the blood. Next, smears are placed on a glass slide. They are needed to study the cellular composition.
It happens that parents get nervous when a child is assigned suchprocedure, like taking blood for analysis. This is not necessary, since the emotional state of an adult is transmitted to the baby and he may start to cry. Therefore, parents are advised not to be nervous and come to the test in a calm state. If necessary, the laboratory assistant will advise how to hold the child and where the blood is taken from in the general blood test.
Lab results
According to the data obtained from the laboratory, the doctor sees if there are any abnormalities in the human body. When an adult or a child has some problems, the doctor prescribes a further examination of the patient and gives a referral to narrow specialists. The results of the analysis obtained in the laboratory show the number of leukocytes, erythrocytes, platelets. The level of hemoglobin and ESR is also detected. The leukocyte formula is also calculated.
Indicators
What does each indicator mean? Let's take a look at them:
- Erythrocytes are red blood cells in human blood. Their function is that they deliver oxygen from the lungs to all organs and tissues.
- SOE. This abbreviation stands for erythrocyte sedimentation rate. These data refer to one of the main parameters by which it is possible to determine the presence or absence of an inflammatory process in the body.
- Leukocytes. If their level is elevated, it means that there is some kind of infection or inflammatory process in the body. It may also mean that there are tumorprocesses, such as oncology. Leukocytes are part of the immune system. If their level becomes higher, then this means that the body begins to fight some kind of disease. Leukocytes are white blood cells.
- Platelets. These cells are considered the smallest. They are colorless and are responsible for blood clotting. Their number may vary during the day and after physical exertion.
Some highlights
There are certain norms for the level of the above cells in the blood. Usually they are indicated in the form of the result of the analysis. Therefore, the patient himself can orient himself, whether the content of certain cells is normal in him. But only a doctor can give an exact interpretation of the analysis.
Patients who are afraid to donate material from a finger for some reason may ask the doctor if it is possible to take a complete blood count from a vein.
Conclusion
Now you know how a complete blood count is done, where the material is taken from. We also talked about the features of collecting material from an adult, a child and an infant.
