FBC

Question 1

Hb

Answer 1

The amount of haemoglobin in whole blood (g/L)

Question 2

Hct

Answer 2

Haematocrit is the percentage of blood sample that is made up of RBCs

Question 3

MCV

Answer 3

Meal cell volume is the average size of the RBCs (fL)

Question 4

RCC

Answer 4

Red cell count (x10^9/L)

Question 5

MCH

Answer 5

Mean corpuscular haemoglobin (amount of Hb per RBC - pg/cell)

Question 6

Platelet count

Answer 6

Number of platelets (x10^9/L)

Question 7

WCC

Answer 7

White cell count (x10^9/L)

Question 8

Neutrophils

Answer 8

Number of neutrophils

Question 9

What does low Hb indicate?

Answer 9

Anaemia

Question 10

What does high Hct indicate?

Answer 10

Increased blood viscosity associated with the formation of clots

Question 11

What does high MCV indicate?

Answer 11

• macrocytic anaemia
• associated with B12/folate deficiency, liver damage, pregnancy

Question 12

What does low MCV indicate?

Answer 12

• microcytic anaemia
• associated with iron deficiency, thalassaemia

Question 13

What is normocytic anaemia?

Answer 13

• low RBC, normal MCV
• causes induce acute blood loss, increase in plasma volume, anaemia of chronic disease

Question 14

What does high WCC indicate?

Answer 14

• leukocytosis
• causes include active infection, smoking, steroids, leukaemia, pregnancy

Question 15

What does low WCC indicate?

Answer 15

• leukopenia
• causes include overwhelming infection, medications, B12/folate/iron deficiency, HIV

Question 16

What does high platelet count indicate?

Answer 16

• thrombocytosis
• causes include infection, iron deficiency, myloproliferative disorders

Question 17

What does low platelet count indicate?

Answer 17

• thrombocytopenia
• causes include viral infection, medication, pregnancy, cirrhosis, alcohol excess, HIV/Hep B/Hep C, B12/iron/folate deficiency

Question 18

Alkaline phosphatase

Answer 18

Indicator of serum calcium (high = serum calcium low)

Question 19

What does low urea indicate?

Answer 19

Liver damage

Question 20

Prothrombin time

Answer 20

Time to clot (high = low in clotting factors)

Question 21

Polycythaemia

Answer 21

High Hb